


Infected

by CoffeeFueledAuthor



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-22 07:50:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13759581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeFueledAuthor/pseuds/CoffeeFueledAuthor
Summary: Luigi could tell something was wrong. Mario never acted this way before. But he never could have predicted just how destructive this mysterious affliction would become. Luigi desperately attempts to find answers before his brothers entire mind is consumed by this horrible infection.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out this story! Please be sure to visit my Patreon (Coffee Fueled Author) for art and factoids, both public and patron exclusive! You can also see what my next stories are going to be.   
> If I can raise enough to make a steady income, my stories (including this one) will continue to be worked on and posted publicly!

The front door flew open in an instant, having been hit so hard that it impacted the inner wall of the modest house. Luigi jumped half a foot in the air at the thunderous noise, almost spilling his mug of still steaming tea over himself and the armchair beneath him. Though thoroughly startled and terrified of what was to follow, the younger man forced himself not to turn around, knowing that even a quick glance could set off a rage induced fury. Besides, he didn't have to look to know who it was that entered with a bang. Mario's fits of anger only seemed to get worse with time.   
The elder sibling stormed into the house, turning on his heels and throwing the door closed with all his strength. Luigi could hear the sickening snap of the finished wood splitting upon impact, leaving a deep crack like a fault line down the doors front. Unmoved, Mario stormed his way into kitchen, furiously growling along the way. He saw the teapot still on the stove top and habitually turned on the burner. Luigi sighed, hoping that perhaps the tea would calm his brothers high strung nerves.   
Worrying that his silence may further fuel his anger, Luigi attempted to speak to the enraged man. "You got back early." He tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible. "I thought you were going to that important 'officials' meeting?"   
"Yeah, I went there!" Mario nearly screamed his response, furiously taking the items required for his tea out of the cupboards and hurling them onto the counter top. "And all they did was whine about all of the kingdoms problems and expect ME to handle them! I'm tired of it! They all expect way too much outta me! I'll tell you what I told them; I'm done being the errand-boy for a whole country!"   
"You... actually said that? With Peach there?" Luigi was floored. Mario was always on his best behavior at these sort of meetings. It was the Princess who had suggested Mario be added to the board of Kingdom Representatives in the first place. He did his best to make sure he proved she had made a wise choice. Making a scene with such an outburst; it was so unlike him. "Bro, you need to calm down..."  
Mario pounded a fist onto the counter, rattling the small, mushroom shaped sugar bowl. "If you tell me to calm down one more time..!" He boomed.   
Luigi, fearful of this new side of Mario, obediently fell silent.   
After only a brief silence, Mario went back to what he had been doing. He flung open a cupboard door with a crack and went to retrieve his favorite red coffee mug. But his hands were once more refusing to cooperate. He couldn't seem to manipulate his own fingers to grab hold of the ceramic handle. Mario struggled and fought to take control of his movement, but it was no use. His hand jerked awkwardly to the side, sending the mug to the floor where it exploded into glazed crimson shards.   
That was the final straw.   
Mario threw his head back, flinging his signature cap across the room, and let loose a roar of pure unbound fury. Rage consumed his form, and he set out on a path of destruction. He overturned the dining table in a single motion, the vase that had been sitting atop it shattering in the fall. He ripped framed pictures from the wall, hurled lamps off of end tables; anything that entered his vision fell victim to his wrath.   
Luigi leapt from the arm chair and ran to his brother, taking off perhaps a bit too quickly and stumbling along the way. Never had he seen his sibling act like this. He had been right when he had voiced concern several days earlier; something was definitely wrong, and he was determined to find out what. Mario needed him.   
Mario, blinded by rage, was reaching for another object to destroy when Luigi appeared behind him, grabbing and pinning his arms to his sides.   
"Mario!!" Luigi shouted, tears threatening to form in his eyes as he held a tight grip on his brother. "What's wrong with you!? Get a hold of yourself!!"  
Easily overpowering his younger brother, Mario broke free of the arms that ensnared him. Before Luigi could react, Mario whipped around at light speed, his fist like an iron hammer striking his sibling square in the face.  
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Luigi collapsed to the hard wood floor.   
As he weakly struggled to lift himself into a seated position, Luigi brought a hand to the side of his aching jaw. His mind, still reeling from the impact, was trying desperately to process what had just happened. Mario had been mad at him before, he had once even gone an entire week without speaking to him, but never in his life had Mario ever raised a hand against his little brother. A storm raged within the younger man; a chaotic twister of confusion, shock, and genuine emotional pain like a dagger through his heart. He managed to raise a quivering gaze to the man standing before him with an expression that pleaded for an explanation.   
Mario stood his ground, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched in fury. But when those innocent shimmering eyes raised to meet his, Mario's glare immediately fell. All of the rage that had burned within him cooled in that instant, and his tense posture melted away.   
Luigi briefly removed his hand from his face and inspected his glove. Fresh crimson from his split lip stained the once flawless white. He replaced the hand on his wound and looked to Mario again, his pleading expression intensifying by the second.   
His pupils constricted to pinpoints when Mario noticed the blood oozing from his brothers mouth, and his eyebrows lifted in utter shock of what he had just done. He had done the unthinkable; he had attacked his younger sibling. The blood that now streamed from Luigi's lip, the very same blood that coursed through Mario's own veins, had been spilled with a strike from his hands. Guilt crashed over top him in a tidal wave. It was his fault. He and he alone had hurt the one he cared about most.   
"I... I-I was... I d-didn't..." Mario stammered rapidly, his mind unable to piece together any form of coherent speech. His hands, now nervously interlocked, began to tremble. His eyes darted in all directions as he took a few unstable steps backwards. He just couldn't believe it. How..? How could he have let that happen? How could he have lost control?   
He had become a monster.   
Mario wordlessly whirled around and took off at an impossible speed, barely throwing the front door open in time to avoid crashing into it. Luigi only had time to utter a near silent 'wait' before his brothers figure flew through the exit and onto the clay path outside.   
Still failing to fully comprehend the situation, Luigi scrambled to his feet. He didn't care about his own injuries. The only concern that plagued his mind was concern for Mario's condition. He was desperate to help, even if it meant risking being struck down once again.   
"Wait!!" Luigi shouted much louder this time, sprinting out of the open door. He could only barely make out Mario's silhouette in the fading evening light, the head start he had taken giving him a wide lead. But Luigi was determined. He kept up the blistering pace, pathetically attempting to close the gap between the two brothers as his mind continued to race with worry. His lungs began to burn with every exhausted inhale, his legs began to ache from the fatigue. Still he sprinted onward, refusing to slow even after Mario's figure escaped his vision.   
He wasn't sure how long he was running before the silhouette before him finally reappeared. With his end goal in sight, Luigi picked up the pace with a rush of exhilarated energy. But to his surprise, Mario was no longer retreating. He had come to a dead stop, his body laying on the cool ground in a pained fetal position. When Luigi finally slowed to a stop mere feet away from his brother, he noticed the inhuman groaning rising from Mario's chest as he cried out in agony.   
"Mario..!" Luigi gasped, thoroughly out of breath and with his strained lungs burning.   
"Lu-Luigi..." The suffering was painfully obvious in Mario's weakened voice. "G-go... Get... get away from me..!"  
His concern and determination only growing (despite being slightly disheartened that Mario's anger seemed to have returned), Luigi defiantly knelt beside his tormented sibling and reached out with a gentle hand. "Mario! What's wrong? Where are you hurt?"  
Frustrated, Mario quickly batted Luigi's hand away. "I... I s-said... go..!" A tear escaped his tightly clenched eyelids as the pain tripled with every passing second. "Get out of... of here... Now..!"  
Luigi hadn't even noticed the stream of tears steadily flowing down his sweat speckled face. He brought the hand that his brother had refused to his chest, closing a fist over top his heart. "I want to help you!" He begged.   
Suddenly, Mario jerked into a more upright, seated position and screamed at a deafening volume. His piercing shriek was unlike any sound he had ever made before, laced with pain, suffering, and pure terror. As he cried out, his eyes snapped open, his once blue irises now almost glowing in a bright crimson. Startled, horrified, and at a total loss, Luigi flung himself backwards a few steps before stumbling and falling to the ground. As the fear began to petrify the muscles in his legs, he raised his hands to his head and pulled the sides of his cap as far down his face as he could, perhaps hoping that somehow the familiar cloth would protect him.   
Mario only continued to produce a chorus of agonizing cries as his body began to tremble. He hunched forward as a series of bony spines not unlike a stegosaurus burst through his back with a sickening, bone grinding snap, tearing through his clothes as if they were tissue paper. He tried to rise to his feet but immediately lost his balance and fell to his hands as the bones in his legs began to change, and his entire form began to steadily grow in size. Luigi could only look on helplessly as Mario's humanity rapidly deteriorated and he assumed a new form before his very eyes, shrieking endlessly in response to the blinding pain. As his human shape was lost to this new bestial exterior, his cries deepened into bellowing roars that shook the ground and rattled his young brother's spine. When he had grown too large and misshapen to fit them any longer, his tattered clothes tore and fell away from him, exposing rusty scales that coated his being.   
When the sound of snapping bones and morphing tissue finally subsided, Mario, or what was once him, stood tall on his four clawed feet, stretching to his full intimidating height. He opened his huge, gator-like mouth, exposing an impressive array of jagged fangs and howled a final roar. It was then that his cross shaped pupils within his furious red eyes focused on Luigi once more.   
Snarling and lowering his head like a wolf stalking its prey, the beast slowly and somewhat awkwardly crept forward, his fangs glistening with saliva. Luigi, his thoughts now a chaotic blur, instinctively scrambled backwards but found himself still unable to stand. With his body still paralyzed in terror, he knew there was no way he could escape this monsters wrath. As the creature closed in, it's mouth began to open, emitting a sound similar to a growling hiss.   
But before he fully made contact, the monster began to blink rapidly, it's snarling subsiding. It lifted it's horned head and stumbled back a few steps as though off balance. As it's eyes continued to open and shut, they suddenly returned to the same pure blue that Luigi recognized as his brother's. When all the red had dissipated, they refocused on Luigi's matching eyes and the beast seemed to make a horrified expression.   
The monster stumbled a few more steps back before tripping and falling chest first to the ground. After struggling back to its feet, it gave one final gaze into Luigi's eyes before turning and bounding away with earth shaking stomps. In a matter of seconds, the beast had completely vanished into the growing darkness of night.   
Luigi, his hands still tightly clenched in a vice grip on his hat, breathed in heavy gasps with his heart pounding in his chest. His mind had shattered into a vortex of racing thoughts, unable to even begin to understand what he had witnessed. It would take him time before he could fully regain awareness of the situation at hand.   
There was one thing he knew for certain, though.  
In that final moment when the monster looked him in the eyes, he saw the terrified expression of Mario looking back.  
Monster or not, he was certain that creature was his brother. He was going to help him no matter the cost.


	2. Chapter 2

The pleasantly sun-warmed air lingering all around from the daylight hours was quickly swept away by the harsh and frigid winds of the dark night, drawing up a shiver from Luigi's core. His form, sitting on the grass with his heavy head atop his knees, had remained totally sedentary for what felt like hours. Though the setting sun had taken nearly every ounce of light from his eyes, his gaze stayed locked on the barely visible pile of ragged cloth before him. The mess had once been Mario's iconic outfit. Now they lay in a tattered heap having been torn from Mario's beastly transformation. Luigi was still having trouble grasping the reality of everything.   
The younger of the famed brothers breathed a hopeless sigh. Though he was sure that he had seen Mario behind the monsters fearsome eyes and wanted to help him however he could, Luigi had no idea where to begin. He knew nothing of this affliction or how to cure it, he didn't even know how he was going to locate the beast. Mario had run off in a panic after his terrifying mutation, and he was far too large and too fast for Luigi to hope to follow. Though he had tried to come up with ideas of where his brother would hide in a time like this, his mind was just too frazzled to think of anything. The emotions that tore through him had caused his thoughts to deteriorate into tv static. Broken, alone, he found himself frozen in place as the night continued to consume him.   
It was the sudden appearance of a bright light in the distance that finally broke him from his trance-like state. Luigi turned to the westward horizon and studied the comforting glow. Something about it felt so familiar; so inviting. He could feel the tug of some strange magnetic force pulling him in its direction. Struggling with intense fatigue, sorrow, and dehydration, Luigi finally rose to his feet to set off towards the light that called out to him; a moth drawn to a flame. He didn't seem to care where it was that he was going or why it seemed to beckon for him. He wasn't really thinking much at all. In the dark of the night with his exhausted shuffling, one easily could've mistaken the broken man for a zombie. But he hadn't exactly had any better plans of action, and somehow the light seemed to promise to show the way.   
As he was finally drawing close enough to the distant light to make out a rough shape, the identity of the glow dawned on him. The light that he had been following was none other than the Mushroom Kingdom's Castle. The illumination from within the upper floors came spilling out through the huge stained glass window, shining the colorful searchlight that had attracted the plumber's attention. His eyes brightened slightly at the identity of the force that pulled him. Princess Peach; Maybe she could help him in this time of need. A glimmer of hope forming within him, he pushed himself to move just a little bit faster.  
Inside the glorious castle, pacing somewhat nervously within the sitting room of the third floor, the Princess waited for the latest news from her senior attendant.   
This past week had been hectic for the young royal. It was hard enough dealing with her own people's problems, such as the significant hit in food production that the farmers had blamed on ravenous animals devastating their fields. But this week also saw an increase in trouble with foreign relations. Representatives of neighboring or allied kingdoms requested assistance with their own problems, and big problems seemed to be popping up everywhere as of late. Normally the Princess tried to get plenty of rest every night, knowing that her mind worked best for her and her subjects when she was well rested. But she already had two meetings with foreign representatives scheduled for early the next day, and she wanted to be sure she was up to speed beforehand. Besides, she knew she most likely wouldn't have been able to sleep if she tried. She simply had far too much on her mind; even more than just her complicated political duties.   
By the time the old toad had finally arrived with the updates, Princess Peach had tired of pacing and had wearily slumped onto one of the elegant pink and white chairs all around her.   
Toadsworth looked to the fatigued Princess with an empathetic expression hidden beneath his colorless facial hair. How it pained him to see her so distressed. He wished there was a way he could relieve her of some of the tension that weighed her down. But the life of royalty was innately difficult, and Peach had had the misfortune of being born into it. Toadsworth slowly hobbled over on his aging walking stick and took a seat opposite the Princess, thumbing through the papers he had been clutching in his hand. He did what he could to help, even if that was just through gathering information or simply offering his company.   
But the Princess and her loyal attendant had only barely begun to discuss the matters concerning the other kingdoms problems before they were interrupted. Even from their third floor location, they could hear when the huge castle doors were suddenly thrust open, immediately followed by the surprised and concerned chatter of the nearby toad guards. Puzzled, the Princess lifted her head to better hear the sounds of commotion rising up the stairs; who would be arriving at the castle this late in the night?   
Toadsworth, an annoyed scowl forming on his face, threw his papers to the seat beside him and quickly stood up. The last thing he wanted was more things for Peach to worry about. He was in no mood for whatever interruption had burst through their doors.   
"What is the meaning of all this?" He grouched, slowly making his way to the staircase. "Who in this land believes they can just come in here unannounced at all times of the night?" He spotted a royal guard, still wielding his defensive shield and spear, dashing up the steps as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, his face plastered with shock and worry. "You, there!" Toadsworth shouted, gesturing at the guard with the tip of his cane. "Tell this uninvited guest to leave at once! It is far too late, and the Princess is far too busy for any-"  
"I apologize, Sir Toadsworth." The winded guard attempted to catch his breath. "It's Master Luigi. He wishes to speak with the Princess immediately!"  
The elder toads face perked up with surprise at the name. This wasn't just anyone. Toadsworth wondered if this may be more important than he initially thought.   
Princess Peach, who had quickly appeared beside her steward, clasped her hands above the sparkling teal crystal accenting her pink dress. A sense of dread grew within her, knowing that the younger hero almost never came to the castle alone. She could feel something wasn't right. "Send him here!" She pleaded, asserting her authority over her attendant.   
But the toad guard didn't have to do anything. At just that moment, the trio at the top of the stairs noticed the slumped figure shuffling slowly up the steps. Rather than wait for an affirmation, Luigi hadn't stopped for even a second on his way to the princess. He just was much slower than the guard who set off before him. Breathing heavily with his heaving chest, he fought to conquer the last few stairs that separated him from the others.   
Peach, as well as the two toads, had backed up significantly to give the shambling man room when he arrived at the stairs summit. As he approached, Peach could easily see that her sense of dread had not been unfounded. Luigi looked terrible. His skin was pale and drenched in sweat, his clothes filthy and stained. His mouth, opened wide in desperate gasps for air, was noticeably swollen on one side, the split in his lip turning the skin surrounding it a deep purple. Tear stains lead from his bleary eyes down his cheeks, and his whole form began to quiver once he finally arrived before the others.   
"Luigi!" The Princess firmly placed her gloved hands on the mans shivering shoulders. "What's happened to you? What's wrong?"  
It was in that instant that all the fatigue, all of the concern and frustration and utter shock of the nights events (not to mention the climb up three flights of stairs) finally caught up to him, engulfing his already frail form. Delirium began to take hold, forming a thick fog over his eyes that threatened to black out all in his vision. He groaned and began to wobble side to side, but stayed determined to get his message across before the haze took all of his conscious mind.   
"It... I-it... I-it-s..." He sputtered, his voice as weak as his body.   
Peach could feel his body beginning to fall limp in her hands. "What?" She begged for more information. "What is it?"  
"I-I-its... M-Mario..." Luigi wheezed, and immediately dropped to the floor like a stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is currently written up to chapter 12. I am trying to establish a steady income via patreon before I continue working on this. So please consider donating! If I fail to raise enough money, I will still finish this story. It will, however, be patreon exclusive.


	3. Chapter 3

His consciousness was slowly returning.  
Luigi's eyes moved lazily beneath his shut eyelids as he shifted beneath the thick comforter. Responding to instinct, he rolled onto his back and stretched his aching muscles, all the way to his fingertips and his toes, emitting a strained and sleepy groan all the while. He had never once required an alarm clock; Luigi's natural circadian rhythm always seemed to wake him up at exactly the same time.   
With eyes still closed, he rolled onto his left side to face his brothers bed. As strange as it was, his inner alarm had always almost exactly matched Mario's, though Luigi's tended to lag a minute or so behind. He knew beside him that Mario was either just waking up, or was already sitting up in his bed glancing out the window to the new day or rubbing his fatigued eyes to prepare them for the bright light of the morning.  
"Morning, bro..." Luigi mumbled, his standard signal to his brother that he was now awake. He accented his greeting with a hearty yawn, then offered a lazy smile still half buried in the pillow.   
A soft voice beside him breathed a delicate chuckle. "Good morning, Luigi." It responded in a pitch too high to be Mario. "Are you feeling any better?"  
Startled by the unfamiliar response, Luigi immediately bolted upright, opening his eyes wide.   
The dazed man instantly realized that he was not in his own room as he had thought. Instead of seeing Mario half draped in his ruby comforter or the shared nightstand between the brothers beds, he saw the Mushroom Kingdom's own Princess sitting beside him on an elegant chair, a modest stack of papers upon her lap. Though her face was in its usual sweet smile, Luigi could tell from the dark rings beneath her eyes that she was fatigued and distressed. His confusion only mounting, Luigi quickly scanned the rest of his surroundings, noticing to his surprise that he had awoken in one of the castles guest bedrooms. What on earth, he wondered, was he doing in here? Why had Peach been waiting beside him? Most importantly, where was Mario?  
It took only a fraction of a second of thought for the memories to come flooding back. All the pain and suffering from the night before slammed into him with the strength of a freight train, the entire event endlessly replaying in his mind. He remembered that, for reasons he couldn't even begin to understand, Mario had transformed into some kind of horrible monster before Luigi's very eyes and took off into the night. And he remembered following the guiding light to the castle in search of assistance. A wave of nausea rolled over him as he realized that those events weren't a part of some nightmare created within his mind, as he would've liked to believe. Waking up in the castle proved the incident was all too real. Somewhere his brother was out there, suffering all alone. He had to find him, fast. Yet he still had no idea where to begin.   
"Mario!" He shouted, attempting to cast off the blankets but only managing to get himself tangled in his haste. "H-he's in trouble! He needs me! He... I... There's something really wrong with him! He's..!"  
Princess Peach, startled by how quickly he had returned to his panicked state from the night before, fought to grab hold of one of his rapidly flailing hands. "Luigi! Wait!" She begged, catching his fingers and holding them firmly to his lap, halting his thrashing and bringing his attention back to her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on! Now, what's wrong with Mario?"  
Luigi's terrified hyperventilating slowed considerably in response to Peach's soothing voice. He closed his eyes, attempting to manually organize his own chaotic thoughts. "Last night..." He wheezed, still trying to calm down further. "Mario... He wasn't acting right."  
Peach only solemnly nodded at this statement, her face falling as she remembered Mario's uncharacteristic outburst at the kingdom assembly. "I know. He wasn't at all." She agreed. "Did something happen to him? Was there something that had been upset him earlier in the day?"  
An irrational and inescapable guilt crept up on Luigi, and he buried his face in his hands. "I don't know!" He admitted, frustration audible in his voice. "He never told me anything! He just got really mad and started screaming and breaking everything he could see! I tried to stop him and then he... He..."  
Suddenly, as if he were seeing an instant replay, the familiar image of Mario from the night in question appeared before Luigi. The scene played out frame by frame in an agonizingly slow manner. Mario's back was turned and his arms pinned, but he effortlessly escaped Luigi's grip and swung around, his fist closing in on his younger brothers face. Just before the moment of impact, Luigi reopened his quivering eyes, now spilling over with tears.   
"He hit me..." Luigi cried, just as shocked at the action now as he had been when it had happened. "Mario actually hit me..." Luigi's voice dissolved into uncontrollable sobbing that he attempted to bury within his hands.   
Peach inhaled in a sharp gasp at the brothers accusation, covering her mouth with petite gloved hands. She was flabbergasted. Mario physically hurting Luigi? It was simply unheard of. Peach couldn't even fathom the very idea. Mario, she knew, would never dare to let any harm befall his brother, let alone harm inflicted by his own hand. Try as she might, she just couldn't believe it. She was certain Luigi must have been mistaken. He had been so exhausted and disoriented when he had arrived at the castle that night and collapsed, much to her horror. Maybe he had only dreamed the attack...   
"What happened after he hit you?" Peach layed an understanding hand upon Luigi's shoulder to calm his sobbing. She would need the entire story before she could pass judgement on its authenticity.   
Luigi leaned slightly into Peach's touch, desperate for emotional comfort in Mario's absence. "Then he looked at me like... Like he wasn't sure what happened." He brought his hands from his eyes and squinted in thought. "And so he ran. He ran as far and as fast as he could from me. I followed him for so long... I don't remember where we were when all of a sudden, he stopped."  
The younger man paused. Tension mounting exponentially, Peach waited impatiently for the tale to continue. "Why did he stop?" She whispered, unable to stand the agonizing delay.  
Luigi's eyes grew unreasonably wide. "He screamed." Luigi's voice had become monotone and dark. "And he changed. Mario turned into a... a monster..."  
"Did he attack you again?" Peach questioned, trying to puzzle out what Luigi had meant by the statement.   
Mildly frustrated, Luigi shook his head. "No. I mean that he..." Luigi raised his glistening blue eyes to Peach's. "He became a monster. An actual hook fanged, claw footed beast. He just kept screaming as his body transformed. And he hissed at me and looked like he wanted to hurt me again... But then..." Sighing, Luigi broke eye contact and turned to the window upon the wall. "He just left. He looked me in the eyes and then ran off. I was so tired and terrified... I could never have kept up with him. I don't know where he went. But he's still out there, somewhere. And he looked so scared... I have to find him..." He turned once more towards the princess beside him. "When I saw the light from your castle, I decided to come here to ask for your help."  
It took Peach several seconds of silence to realize Luigi's story had ended, as she had had nothing but trouble absorbing that last part of it. Realizing her silence but unable to formulate a response, she only managed to mutter a simple 'hm' in acknowledgement of his tale. She decided she had been right in assuming the man had dreamt the scenario. The tail end of the story had gone completely off the rails, far too unbelievable for it to possibly be true. Luigi, she knew, suffered from chronic, terrible nightmares. This, she decided, was just a particularly stressful one. Perhaps he had awoken after wandering outside in his sleep and panicked when he couldn't tell where he was. Still, the stern way he had stared into her eyes while explaining Mario's transformation; he looked so convinced that this had all really happened.  
Not wanting to upset Luigi by disagreeing with his belief of the stories authenticity, Peach tried to come up with another way to put his fears at ease. He had lowered his weary head into his hands when he had finished speaking, so Peach leaned a tad closer. "Hey, it's okay." She spoke in a voice similar to a mother comforting a child. "I'm sure he couldn't have gone far. In fact, he probably went back home looking for you."  
Luigi, mildly surprised by Peach's calm reaction to being told Mario's strange plight, looked up to the princess with hope refilling his eyes. "You... You really think so..?" He mumbled.   
"I do." She nodded. "And I bet he's just as worried about you as you are about him. So let's get you home, alright? I can even walk you there myself just to make sure you're both okay."   
Eternally grateful for Peach's willingness to help, Luigi quickly accepted the offer with an excited nod. He still didn't know how to turn Mario back, but at least he would have help in figuring it out.   
Just then, a loud, exaggerated cough emanated from the doorway behind the princess. She and Luigi turned fast in surprise to see the older toad servant, who had overheard the very end of the conversation. Toadsworth looked to Peach with a stern expression, drumming his stubby fingertips across the top of his walking stick.   
"Uhm, Princess?" He coughed. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"   
Confused, Peach slowly rose to her feet to accompany the attendant. As she made her way towards the door, she turned to Luigi with a reassuring smile. "I'll be just a second." She stated. "We can head out as soon as I get back."  
The princess slowly eased the door closed behind her as she joined Toadsworth in the elegant castle hallway. The elder toad curled his brow in frustration, adopting a more stern and somewhat disciplinary stance.   
"Princess! Need I remind you of the multiple representatives we have arranged to meet with you today?" He growled in a whisper. "You don't have time to go out for a walk right now! I can send a royal guard to escort Master Luigi home, but you are very busy!"  
Peach, understanding of Toadsworth's anger, turned towards the closed door as if she hoped to see through it. "I know, Toadsworth." She sighed. "But seeing Luigi arrive so distraught last night and passing out on his own two feet; I'm really worried about him. It sounds like he may be delirious with a fever of some sort. I just want to make sure he gets home safe, and I'd like to explain the situation to Mario as well. He's probably just beside himself with worry not knowing where Luigi is. I can easily return with plenty of time to prepare for the first meeting of the day."  
Still somewhat concerned, Toadsworth slowly abandoned his aggressive posture. His whole face softened in understanding, and he closed his eyes with a sigh. He knew Peach had been anxious to speak with Mario again after his strange outburst the day before, and this was the perfect excuse to go see him. And it had been rather concerning when Luigi blacked out in front of them. If it weren't for the castle doctor's quick reacting and assurance of his overall health, the whole place would've erupted in panic. It would therefor be wise to send someone with him in case another fainting spell were to come on. He also knew how much Princess Peach truly cared for Luigi. Though it was his older brother that she was romantically attracted to, she had come to see the younger man almost as her own younger brother. She would never be able to concentrate on a political meeting with concerns for both Mario brothers swirling in her thoughts. The meetings, he decided, could wait.   
"Alright. I will stay here and continue preparations." He reluctantly agreed. "Just do be sure to return in time. And please try your best to stay careful out there."  
Peach, relieved she had convinced him, smiled as she reached out to open the door again. "Of course. I'll be just fine." She assured him. "I'm sure Mario will be overjoyed to see us."  
Somewhere out in the distance, far from the castle walls, a mournful howl-like roar rose from the horizon. Unfortunately, none of the castle residents had been able to hear it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a particularly dreary morning that day in the Mushroom Kingdom. Heavy, water logged clouds hung ominously overhead, only allowing a small fraction of light from the bright morning sun through. The winds were no longer the pleasant breeze from the day before, but instead blew chaotically through the trees at random intervals. It was easy to feel the presence in the air; a summer storm was on its way.   
Princess Peach glanced to the foreboding skies above and breathed a nervous sigh. She wondered if she would be able to get Luigi home and return to her castle before the storm hit. She would hate to arrive at these important foreign affairs meetings drenched in fresh rainwater. Still, she was more concerned about her dear friend than she was about her dress getting wet, so she continued the hike nonetheless.   
Behind her, she could hear the perfectly timed footsteps of the two Royal Guards who had accompanied her for the trip. Toadsworth had insisted she take some form of protection with her, given her rather terrible track record of being captured and held hostage. So Peach hadn't argued when he sent two of their most well trained soldiers along with her. The stone faced toads marched perfectly in step with one another, their shimmering metal shields held over their chests and their somewhat small halberds raised in intimidation. They would defend the Princess and her close companion from any danger that dared to appear.   
Peach slowly brought her vision to the slumped figure walking just beside her. Luigi had been uncharacteristically quiet on their journey. He shuffled forward with his heavy head pointed towards his feet, his thoughts miles away. It was clear to the princess that he was simply drowning in his worries over his absent elder brother. She only hoped that this escort home would relieve that hanging tension. All she had to do was find out what had upset Mario so much the day before.   
As they continued toward their destination, Luigi finally brought his gaze up and took a slow, deep breath. "You really think..." He mumbled, his voice still sounding so hoarse from guilt and exhaustion. "You really think Mario will be back at home waiting for me?"   
Peach daintily folded her hands over her dress and smiled sweetly. "Of course I do." She chirped, reassuringly. "You know how much he worries about you. I bet he just needed some time to cool off last night, then went right back home to make sure you were okay. I bet he'll feel a lot better once he knows you're alright."  
For a brief moment, the tension in Luigi's face eased as he smiled in response to Peach. But his smile vanished just as quickly as it came, and he turned to the princess with a more serious expression. "And you're sure..." He whispered. "You'll be okay seeing him like this? I mean... as a monster?"  
The princess turned to meet the green clad plumbers gaze. She still didn't believe that Mario had really transformed, like Luigi had said. She just knew he had to be mistaken. But the look in his eyes was unmistakable; what he stated he believed as fact. He had no reason to deceive or lie to her. He was positive that his brother was no longer human. How, she wondered, could he be so certain of something so positively ridiculous?   
"I'll be alright." Peach turned away from Luigi, hoping he wouldn't see the disbelief in her eyes. "He's still Mario. He just needs us to remind him of that."  
Satisfied, Luigi returned his gaze to his shuffling feet beneath him. "With you here, we should be able to convince him to follow us, so he doesn't run off again. But I still don't know what to do after that. I just hope I can fix this..." Luigi's voice had begun to quiver. "Somehow..."  
Peach, lacking a response to the previous statement, silently kept moving forward. She knew what she planned on doing; she'd get Luigi home, convince him that Mario wasn't a monster, and find out what it was that had made Mario so upset in the first place. And then she would return to her castle for her royal duties just like any other day. Simple as that.   
Both Peach and Luigi grew more and more tense as they neared their end goal. And when the modest house finally came into view, the entire group had fallen completely silent.   
The front door, still adorned with the brutal crevasse through it's wood, was wide open, gently swaying back and forth in the breeze. Small, inconsequential papers from within were now scattered across the porch and lawn, as well as misshapen hunks of wood from the door and broken furniture. Though it was the same house it had always been, it now seemed to exude an aura of hostility and danger, one that the princess and her companion felt instantly. Peach gently lifted the very bottom of her dress out of the way of her feet, and she and Luigi dashed towards the once cozy abode.   
Luigi arrived at the front door first, steadying the door with his hand to halt its eerie swaying. His light adjusted eyes struggled to see anything but darkness inside the unlit house, and the dreary gray sky wasn't helping.   
"Mario!" The younger brother called out, taking a single trembling step inside. "Mario? Please tell me you're here..."  
Still shaking uncontrollably, Luigi continued deeper into the ominous structure. Bright, blinding light suddenly flooded the room he was standing in, thoroughly startling the nervous man and causing him to yelp in terror. He whipped around, his heart beating furiously in his chest, his mouth wide open inhaling in sharp gasps. Frozen against the far wall was Princess Peach, her petite hand still pressed against the light switch beside her. She lowered her head in an apologetic stance; she hadn't meant to startle him. She simply hadn't realized just how tense Luigi had been. Realizing his fear had been a false alarm, Luigi took a long, deep breath, before turning back around and examining the now illuminated interior.   
With the lights now on, it became painfully obvious to Luigi that his brother had never returned. Every object broken in fury remained exactly where the brothers had left them the night Mario had run away, with not a trace of evidence that a large animal had roamed through. Luigi was sorely disappointed, yet not surprised. He normally had a sixth sense when it came to Mario's presence, and he simply hadn't felt it when they arrived. This visual evidence only confirmed what he had already feared; Mario was still long gone.   
Luigi let out a mournful sigh as he heard Peach slowly take her place beside him. "I guess he isn't coming home." He whimpered, his head hung low. "How am I ever gonna find him..?"  
After a few moments of receiving nothing but silence, Luigi turned his gaze to the princess beside him. Her shimmering crystal eyes were wide with worry, her mouth agape but unable to form words. She pressed her gloved hands over her heart almost as if to protect her from the crippling emotional pain as she surveyed the house, paying particular attention to the damage all throughout. Peach had been to the brother's home plenty of times. Though Mario was known to leave the occasional object out of place, Luigi was always good about keeping the house clean and organized. To see the home in such a state of destruction; it was almost more than she could bare.  
"Luigi..." She whispered, slowly making her way towards the brother's living room. "What happened here..?"  
The younger man solemnly entered the room as well, studying the objects across the floor. Mario's armchair had been knocked onto its side, smashing the small end table that had been beside it. Splintered fragments of the furniture lay scattered from the point of impact, half buried in the carpet from being stomped on by furious feet. He spotted a small picture frame that once sat on the end table lying face down in a sprinkling of glass, and he carefully lifted it from the debris. Turning it so Peach could see as well, he realized it was the photo of himself and Mario somewhere in their teen years, the one where Luigi was clumsily leaping onto Mario's back in excitement. He focused on Mario, who seemed to adjust to the sudden extra weight thrown atop him with ease, laughing just as Luigi was. He seemed so happy; the purest expression of joy on his young, pudgy face. He hadn't even grown his trademarked facial hair at this point, with only a few stubbly black bristles adorning the top of his lip, making him look even younger. Could the innocent, carefree spirit in the photo really have caused the thoughtless destruction that surrounded them now? Luigi wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his very eyes.   
"He just... Snapped..." Luigi felt his eyes begin to water, a teardrop landing on the photo in his hand. "He set off on a rampage, and I couldn't stop him..." The image in his hand became too painful to look at any longer, and Luigi haphazardly dropped it back into its nest of shattered glass. Distancing himself, he set out towards the kitchen where Mario's furious destruction had begun.   
Peach followed slowly behind, her head spinning so fast she almost felt sick. It was just dawning on her that Luigi had been correct all along. Mario DID set out on a path of rage, he DID strike Luigi when he tried to intervene. But that last part; she still didn't want to believe it could've happened. Her thoughts chaotically swirled in her mind as she tried to make sense of everything.  
A near silent gasp from Luigi refocused the Princess's mind, and she quickly looked up to see what was the matter. Luigi's eyes had caught sight of a brilliant crimson object carelessly discarded in the corner of the kitchen, and he raced towards it. With trembling hands, he lifted the object as if it were an infant or injured animal, cradling it in his arms. When he finally stood and turned to face Peach, she realized that it was Mario's iconic red cap; the one he had had since his birth. It had flown off his head when his anger had reached his limit, and he had never gone back to retrieve it.   
Peach knew something was very wrong with Mario.  
"Luigi... You said Mario changed, right?" The Princess tried to choose her words carefully as she took a few more steps toward the broken man. "When did that happen? Where were you when he became a monster?"  
Luigi buried his face in the familiar fabric of his siblings hat and began to weep uncontrollably. "I don't know." He wailed, feeling utterly hopeless. "He ran off and I chased after him. It was late, I was scared, and I just wanted to help Mario. I can't remember which way we went."  
From beyond the front door, a confident and powerful voice suddenly arose. "Your Majesty!" One of the Royal Guards shouted, reminding Peach and Luigi that they had been guarding the entrance the entire time. "We should be able to track Mario's path!"  
Confused, the two standing in the kitchen quickly made their way to the exit, Luigi still clutching the rad cap in his hands. As they passed through the entryway, they saw that one of the armed toads was positioned just in front of the porch, gesturing his weapon to the dirt path below.   
"There are a few blood drops on the path here." He commented, then pointed his halberd more towards the distance. "And the path ahead is soft; you can easily make out the footprints. If we follow the trail of blood and shoe marks, we should be able to find where they wound up."  
Surprised, Luigi gently put a hand to his still bruised lip. He had almost completely forgotten he had been bleeding that night. Now, thinking back, he distinctly recalled feeling a few drops ooze from his mouth as he followed behind Mario. He had unwittingly marked his path with the evidence of Mario's attack.   
"We'll have to hurry." The other armed toad remarked, making his way towards his comrade at the end of the porch steps. "A storm is coming. If it rains, you can kiss those blood drops and footprints goodbye."  
Peach puffed herself up into a more determined stance and gave her soldiers a nod. "Right! Then let's go!" She commanded. Once again, she lifted the bottom of her dress up and out of the way of her feet, and she and the toads took off down the path at a significant speed.   
Luigi hesitated for just a moment. He was still no closer to finding Mario or figuring out how to help him. But perhaps, he hoped, the princess or her guards could gain some new information based on Mario's last known location. At this point, he didn't really have any other options. He breathed an unsure sigh and looked one last time at the hat within his hands. He had to try. This was for Mario.  
Without really thinking, Luigi placed his brothers hat atop his own green L marked cap. Mario's was just a tad wider than Luigi's, allowing it to fit almost perfectly over top, the only green still visible being the brim beneath the red. Though it definitely felt strange to wear two hats stacked atop one another, it gave him a sense of comfort. Mario's scent wafted from the cloth and drifted to Luigi's nose, making him almost feel like his brother was still there with him.   
Invigorated, Luigi took off down the path to catch up to the others in their search.


	5. Chapter 5

"The footprints veer off this way!" One of the Royal Guard toads shouted between strong breathing, gesturing the pointed tip of his silver halberd to the soft earth below. He kept up the quick pace, making sure to run just alongside the footprints and blood drops in case they suddenly changed directions once again. "C'mon! Follow me!"  
Princess Peach and Luigi, who had been unable to see the tracks as clearly as the well trained soldiers, obediently followed, turning in the toads direction. They looked to the ground where the toad had been gesturing as they ran by, noting just how subtle the twist in the footprints had been. Only the keenest of eyes could've caught the direction change so quickly. Peach and Luigi realized just how fortunate they were to have the elite kingdom guards to guide the way.   
As the group continued moving forward, Peach took a moment to catch a glance of the sky overhead. The clouds, she was certain, were growing darker by the minute. Rain could pour from the heavens at any moment now, erasing the only trace of the brother's path. Peach felt her chest tighten with worry; they had to reach the end before the storm. This transformation sight was the only clue they would get as to Mario's whereabouts. That is, if it provided a clue at all. If the rains were to wash it away, finding Mario would become impossible. This was their only chance.   
"Luigi!" The Princess turned to the man running beside her, careful not to shout so as not to startle him into a stumble. "Just how far did he go before it happened?"  
Luigi shook his head, hearing the two stacked caps atop his scalp rubbing together. "I can't remember." He wheezed. "It felt like hours at the time. But I feel like we have to be getting close!"  
A single droplet of water from above dripped onto the exposed elbow of the Princess, causing her to emit a hushed gasp. "Let's hope that we are!" She exhaled, looking again to the dark rain clouds overhead. "The rain wont be waiting for us much longer..."  
"The prints turn again here!" One of the toads called out from ahead as he and his comrade began running south once more. "Hurry! I've already felt a few raindrops!"  
Picking up the pace as he turned, Luigi felt his stomach twisting from anxiety. The threat of losing the trail was all too real. The younger man didn't know what he would do with himself if Mario were to be gone forever. His mind wouldn't even consider life without his older brother as an option. He had only been absent a day, and already Luigi could feel his sense of purpose fading away. They were the Mario Brothers; two halves of a single spirit. They simply couldn't function without the other by their side.   
He silently prayed that the trails end would come into view.   
Unfortunately for the group of four, luck was not on their side. Only a few moments after turning towards the south, the storm began. A single, ominous rumble of thunder signaled the weathers arrival. In the blink of an eye, the rain came pouring from above; instantly drenching the princess, the plumber, and the proud Royal Guards in freezing cold precipitation. It took less than a second for the water to completely coat the ground, swelling the foot printed dry dirt into unusable, track-less mud. The trail hadn't stood a chance.   
"No... No!" Peach cried out in sadness in frustration, watching as the barely visible footprints melted away.   
The toads, now with nothing to guide them, slowed to a solemn stop. As the rain continuously flowed down their forms, they turned their weary heads towards their princess. Peach had begun losing traction as the water transformed the earth to a mud slide, and so had also come to a halt. It was hard to tell through the sweat and rainwater, but the guards knew that tears were now freely falling from her crystal eyes. They had all tried so hard, but now it seemed they would never see the proud hero of the Mushroom Kingdom again. Not without any sort of idea as to where he had been hiding. The realization of the loss thoroughly devastated the princess. Unable to do anything more, the royal soldiers approached her sympathetically, offering what emotional support they could.   
It took them only a moment to realize Luigi wasn't with them.   
Even as the rain cascaded from the heavens, Luigi ran on ahead. Without a trail, the hope of finding Mario's place of transformation was near non existent, but the younger man refused to accept it. He couldn't stop. He had to find Mario, and he would run a thousand miles if need be. Unable to accept the thought of failure, his mind had blotted out all other thoughts. Luigi didnt notice the rains nor did he notice when he was suddenly alone. It didn't matter. He continued to run in a straight line, banking on the possibility that the last turn they had passed had been the final one Mario had made that night.   
He ran a good distance ahead of the others through the ever worsening storm. Against all odds, Luigi had been correct. As he continued his mad dash through the torrential downpour, the familiar clearing finally came into view. He was certain this was the spot.   
And he also quickly noticed that he hadn't been the only one to make it here. Luigi quickly ground to a dead stop, his blood going cold and his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.  
It was him.  
There, in the clearing, loomed the huge figure of the terrifying monster Luigi had encountered the day before. It's back was to Luigi, it's head held low with its long, beastly snout half buried in the soggy pile of tattered clothing that had been cast off that night. It almost seemed to emit a pained whimpering, as it dug its nose beneath the pile and gently flicked its head back, tossing shreds of cloth onto its muzzle only to have them quickly slide off and fall to the ground once more. Small cuts and abrasions now decorated his lizard-like body, and the rain rolling down his form caused his rusty scales to glisten.   
Luigi could hardly believe it. It was Mario. He had found him. A tidal wave of relief flowed through the younger man, overjoyed to be reunited with his dear elder brother.   
"Mario!" Luigi cried out, uncontrollably sprinting towards the enormous beast before him with his arms spread wide.   
Startled, the monster quickly lifted its head, gazing through the heavy rains with its muddy violet eyes. It's cross shaped pupils instantly locked on to the fast approaching figure, and it whipped around in a flash to face him. But rather than return the relieved and excited reaction Luigi had been expecting, the creature began slowly backing away, bringing its head down slightly and quietly snarling at the intruder, it's predatorial eyes widening.   
Luigi came to a stop once more. He was positive this monster was the one Mario had become. He recognized the four sleek horns, the messy tangle of a red brown mane, and the strange, black, fang-like protrusions that grew from both sides of it's muzzle, appearing similar to Mario's recognizable facial hair. Besides, it wasn't exactly like there were other giant creatures like him around. So why, Luigi wondered as he stood fast in the rain, had Mario seemed to react so negatively to his brothers presence? It pained Luigi to his very core. Had he truly been unable to recognize his own sibling?  
The younger man, refusing to accept the possibility that Mario's memories and very sentience may have been lost due to the transformation, decided that his older brother was merely confused and afraid. Not to mention how hard it was to see through the constant rain flow.   
Luigi, straining to keep his tears at bay, slowly brought his arms up to reveal empty hands, attempting to show the monster he wasn't a threat. "Mario. It's me!" He shouted in a pleading tone over the heavy precipitation. "I'm your brother! Don't you remember me?"  
The familiar voice seemed to trigger an immediate response in the creature. It's snarling face softened to an expression of shock and confusion as it lifted its massive head and produced a quizzical chuffing sound. It focused all its concentration on the human figure, tilting his head and blinking rapidly. Luigi noticed the muddy purple color of his eyes had begun to shift, as if the blue of his eyes was trying desperately to overtake the red.   
"Come on, bro. I know you're in there." Luigi sniffed. He took a careful step forward and offered his hand, hoping that perhaps physical contact would assist the natural blue of Mario's eyes to win over the crimson. "You have to remember."  
The step forward Luigi had taken had brought him just close enough that, even through the wall of rain, the beast could now see the mysterious object atop the intruders head that seemed to speak to his spirit and resonate deep within his soul. Like the soothing tune to the savage beast, the mere sight of the crimson cap calmed the creature significantly. He crept slowly towards the hand being offered to him, lured by the familiar voice, his head less tucked and his entire stance more relaxed and trusting. Luigi held his breath, trying his hardest to hold perfectly still.   
"Luigi! Look out!!"  
The intimidating shout of the Royal Guard pierced the air, startling both Luigi and the now fuchsia eyed monster. As they quickly turned towards the source of the scream, the second toad soldier sprinted towards the brothers at an incredible speed, his halberd lifted and ready to strike. Luigi attempted to shout in protest, but was cut off when the first toad guard suddenly gripped him by the overalls and yanked him away from the looming beast. A path now cleared for him, the sprinting guard leapt into the air, bursting through the rain and striking his foe across the chest.   
Luigi's blood ran cold as he saw the weapon make contact in a flash of crimson. "Mario!!" He shrieked, fighting with every ounce of his strength against the trained soldiers iron grip. He was quickly being dragged further away, watching helplessly as the forms of the guard and Mario faded behind the pouring rain.


	6. Chapter 6

A piercing howl of surprise and agony tore through the rainstorm like a thunder clap. The towering beast leapt back, twisting slightly so that his armor plated side and back now faced the soldier who had wounded him. The strike had slashed a jagged gash across the creatures broad chest, which, like it's belly, was covered in a softer and far more delicate skin. Fresh, brilliant red blood oozed from the laceration, mixing with rain water to make it appear as though the surprisingly small amount of bleeding was spilling in a terrifying torrent. The open cut burned as the water rolled over it, and the beast emitted a strained growling of discomfort.   
The Royal guard, satisfied with his successful attack, landed heroically in front of his target, his crimson tipped halberd posed and ready to strike again.   
Luigi, still being pulled away by the incredible strength of the second toad guard, cringed and continued to struggle. He could hear as the scuffle started up once more; Mario bellowing a chorus of monstrous, intimidating shrieks as he charged forward, the soldier hollering in response and swinging his weapon with all his might in an attempt to slice the beast a second time. The fight being obscured by the cascade of rainfall drastically increased Luigi's level of fear and anxiety. He had no idea how the fight was progressing, but his instincts demanded he help his injured brother immediately, no matter the consequences. He had to stop the soldier before he slashed the beast to ribbons, unwittingly slaying the very hero they had been searching for.  
"Let go! Let me go!!" Luigi struggled harder, adrenaline triggered from his brothers cries fueling his muscles and increasing his strength dramatically. "I have to stop him! He's gonna get hurt!"  
Now having difficulty maintaining his grip, the royal guard's dragging slowed. "We know what we're doing, Master Luigi." He panted in frustration. "We're highly trained and highly skilled. He'll be fine. That beast doesn't stand a chance!"   
"No!! You have to stop him!!" Luigi screamed, now in an absolute panic. "That's Mario!! The monster is Mario!!"  
The loud declaration hit the armored toad like a slap in the face. His eyes went wide as his mind quickly scrambled to piece things together, and he turned his gaze and strained in a failed attempt to see the beast through the torrential downpour.   
In the brief moment of shock, Luigi finally overpowered the toad and pulled free from his white knuckled grip. Before he could even comprehend what had happened, Luigi sprinted away at top speed, following the sound of combat through the precipitation. The royal guard was left dumbfounded, his hand still held aloft but grasping at nothing.   
The younger sibling ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Slowly, amorphous shadows obscured by the rain formed into clear silhouettes of the small toad and the beastly giant as he drew nearer to their battle. As the colors filled in, he watched as the creature lunged towards its miniature opponent, snapping its jaw with ten times the strength of a bear trap. But the nimble toad guard managed to roll to the left before being impaled on the monsters fangs. Grunting in a stubborn frustration, the beast readied a second strike for the soldiers new orientation. But the toads trained eye instantly picked up on his opponents next move. He tightened his grip on his gleaming halberd, shuddering with anticipation.   
When the monster lunged a second time, the Royal soldier hurled himself to the right and out of the creatures aim. And just as the beast's snap once more missed its target, the toad saw an opening, and he rocketed towards the abomination with another expertly executed swing of his weapon.   
A second crimson plume erupted from the beasts chest, and it shrieked in agonizing pain. Another long, brutal laceration crossed over top the first, leaving the creature scarred with a wide, bloody X across its flat chest. With a pained moan, it stumbled backwards, curling in on itself and lowering its head to protect its injuries. The royal guard smirked as he spun the halberd in his hands for a better grip. The beast was weak; victory was one blow away.   
Luigi appeared behind the guard in a flailing panic, grabbing hold of his stubby wrist moments before he could strike down his foe. "Stop! Please! Don't hurt him anymore!" He wailed at full volume, pulling the toads arm back so suddenly and with such force that he almost knocked him over. "It's Mario!!"  
Refusing to release his heavy weapon, the Toad struggled to look towards Luigi while maintaining vision on the creature. "You can't be serious!?" He barked, trying to peer into Luigi's eyes to see if this was some insane trick. But the grave, dead serious look was undeniable; he spoke only the truth. "That monster is Mario??"  
Another agony laced howl stole Luigi's attention. He bolted towards his beastly brother, flinging the soldier backwards in the process. Without hesitation or fear, he placed himself mere inches from the dangerous leviathan, placing his hands onto the slick, rain soaked scales of its arm in an effort to soothe its suffering.   
"Mario! Wait!" He cried. "It's me, remember!? They aren't gonna hurt you anymore!"  
But Luigi's actions weren't met with appreciation. With only a brief growl as a warning, the monster swung his powerful arm with a fearsome roar, sending Luigi flying. His body impacted the ground in a heavy thud, the rain pooled on the ground instantly soaking his aching back. Before he could bring himself back to his feet, Mario leapt forward and slammed his misshapen hand onto Luigi's leg, his jagged claws piercing flesh and denim and drawing a pained scream from his core. He could hear the shocked soldiers behind him shouting his name, but knew they were powerless to aid him now.   
Luigi couldn't tell if it was the freezing water soaking his back or the result of pure terror, but his entire form quaked uncontrollably beneath the beasts hand. He grabbed hold of the creatures claws and tried desperately to push him off, but he couldn't even move the appendage an inch. The searing pain from his impaled leg was quickly draining his strength; he was at the mercy of the monster.   
Mario leaned his horned head forward. His mouth was agape, breathing in exhausted pants, and the wounds upon his flesh seemed to widen with his heaving chest. Luigi gazed helplessly into his blood red eyes as he shrieked a furious roar that shook the ground beneath him. The monstrous form had completely overtaken Mario's conscious mind, and wanted nothing more than to destroy the pathetic prey that dared attack him.   
He lunged forward, aiming a single, deadly snap directly at the younger mans neck.  
Without thinking and with a pitiful cry of horror, Luigi's hands flew to his head and removed the top most cap from his scalp, and he pushed it in front of himself like a pathetic cloth shield. He clamped his eyes shut, his hands and the hat shaking violently, waiting for the impending bite that would bring about his painful demise.   
Miraculously and moments before he made contact, the beast suddenly froze solid, his snout nearly pressed against the hat still held firm in the mans terrified grip. An un-explainable calm surged through his form at the familiar scent, holding him at bay with unseen arms.  
Realizing that he was still very much alive, Luigi cautiously turned to discover what had happened, his breathing heavy and frantic. He watched in a stunned silence as the creatures nostrils flared, taking in more of the scent and causing its eyelids to gently flutter. Within moments, the fluttering escalated into exaggerated blinking, with each blink revealing a more blue toned eye.   
With a final grunt and a quick shake of his head, he opened his eyes wide, the natural blue color of his real irises having returned completely.   
It was immediately clear from the complex, confused facial expression forming on his face that a sentience had returned to the being. Mario slowly squinted and studied the world around him as if he had just awoken from a deep slumber, quickly locking on to the man trapped beneath his monstrous paw.   
Luigi, slowly and with shivering arms, lowered Mario's hat to his chest, revealing his terrified expression to his brother.   
Mario's blood ran ice cold as he pieced together what was happening. He could see the horror in Luigi's eyes, as well as his own freakishly long claws embedded in the younger mans flesh. It happened again. He had lost control, and it had again caused his beloved younger brother physical harm. Panic was quickly setting in as Mario instantly drew his maroon stained hand back and began emitting a frantic, guilt ridden whimpering.   
Noticing his eyes quickly scanning for an exit and terrified that Mario would attempt to flee once more, Luigi quickly sat up despite the blinding pain in his mangled leg. "Wait! Mario! Don't go!" He struggled to keep his voice quiet and calm even as his vision filled with tears of both physical and emotional pain. "Please don't run away. I just want to help you."  
The beast ducked down slightly, his mind plagued with indecision. While a part of him wanted only to listen to the pleads of his sibling, another part was insistent that he run as far away as he possibly could. The lingering danger of him losing control once more and attacking his brother was more than he could stand. He was a threat; Luigi would be better off if he were to leave and never return. As Mario continued to study the limb his claws had deeply wounded, his urge to retreat grew stronger and stronger.   
"Please." Luigi had begun to lose his composure, struggling to drag his body closer without the use of his leg. "Please don't go."   
For a while, the brothers stared intently at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally, the creature slowly and somewhat awkwardly lowered himself into a seated position, breathing a worried and defeated sigh. He had remained just out of reach of the man struggling in the rain, but he had chosen to stay. For now, at least.


	7. Chapter 7

The majority of the looming tension that had been hanging heavily in the air was finally dissipating. Luigi could almost feel the immense weight being lifted from his chest, and he slowly breathed and allowed his tightened muscles to relax. The endorphins in his blood that had been released as a result of the damage to his body had managed to dull the brutal pain in his bleeding leg, and he attempted to stand once more.   
Suddenly, Luigi felt the touch of small but sturdy hands helping to lift him from the ground. The two toad soldiers, whom Luigi had almost forgotten about in the heat of the moment, had appeared by his side and now assisted the man to his feet. Both still bore the same shocked expression Luigi had left them with, and they kept their eyes locked onto the seated beast before them in quiet awe.   
"That thing..." The first Royal Guard began, placing Luigi's arm around his neck and shoulder and taking a share of his weight but with his gaze still fixed straight ahead. "That strange creature really is Mario..?"  
The once proud hero of the Mushroom Kingdom lowered his head, his pointed, dog-like ears behind his horns flopping down in shame. The raw disbelief and disgust he sensed in the duo of toads only seemed to make his situation feel far more hopeless than it already had. His image, which was once met with recognition and deep appreciation, now struck fear into its beholders. The word "creature", he felt, hadn't been nearly cruel enough to do his new, seemingly inescapable form justice.   
Luigi lifted his exhausted expression back upwards to gaze into the eyes of the beast, easily piercing through its monstrous exterior to see his terrified brother hiding deep within. "Yes. I'm positive it's him." He weakly pushed off of the toads on either side of him with a grunt and attempted to hobble forward.   
Purring a gentle whine, Mario ducked nearer to the ground and carefully inched himself backwards, distancing himself from the figure approaching him. Though he could immediately see the inner pain this gesture had caused Luigi, he decided it was better that they stay as separated as possible. He simply couldn't stand the thought of doing his little brother any further harm than he had already inflicted.   
The younger man stubbornly continued forward, albeit at a much slower pace. He didn't understand why Mario continued to refuse his attempts to help his older sibling. His scrambled mind assumed it must have been something he had done; that Mario was angry or disappointed in him. Still, he was determined to do what he could, even if his brother remained unwilling.   
His battered body, however, was less capable than he would have hoped.   
As he struggled another step closer, his mangled leg had finally reached its limit. Luigi could feel through his numbness as his leg suddenly refused to bare any weight, and he immediately lost his balance and began to fall.   
Before he could impact the ground, a large object burst through the rain and caught Luigi's free falling form. Confused and mildly startled, Luigi studied what it was that had prevented his fall that he now was leaned chest first into.   
Mario looked up to his brother, now balanced against his gator-like snout. His desire to stay out of reach had been overpowered by his instinctual need to protect the younger man. He lifted his head slightly, moving Luigi into a more stable, upright pose.  
A relieved smile quickly formed on Luigi's face. A minor yet unshakable feeling of doubt had crept into his thoughts when the toads had questioned the legitimacy of his claims as to who the monster was, and the creatures reserved reactions to the younger mans very presence hadn't instilled confidence. But that doubt had vanished in an instant. He couldn't help but breathe an airy chuckle as the brothers matching blue eyes met. Overcome with emotion, he turned his weary head and nuzzled against the bony brow ridge above the beastly Mario's eyes, the quiet laughter he had been emitting quickly transitioning into relieved sobs. Luigi's tears rolled down Mario's rusty scales with the rain. He wrapped his needy arms behind his older brothers muscular neck; finally receiving the familiar brotherly contact he had been yearning for in their short but turbulent time spent separated.   
Had Mario the same range of facial expressions, he most likely would've returned the smile with his own. Instead, in an effort to get his feelings across, he simply closed his eyes and pushed into the embrace, producing a docile rumbling from deep within his scarred chest. Reunited as two fractions of one soul, Mario's situation suddenly felt a little less hopeless. Maybe, he pondered, they'd figure out some sort of solution after all.   
Before he could pull away from him, Luigi reopened his eyes and glanced down at the soggy object he still had clamped in one hand. Propping himself up with one hand against Mario's snout, he lifted his upper body and reached out, gently squeezing the red M-labeled hat between two of the creatures horns and daintily placing it in his reddish brown tangle of hair. Now no one could question his identity.   
Mario had almost forgotten about his all important cap. He thoroughly appreciated its return, feeling more like himself again and less like the monstrous appearance he bore. Gently placing his arm beside Luigi, Mario eased his little brother off of his snout so he was now balancing his weight on his armor coated shoulder and elbow. With his face uncovered, Mario lifted his head, careful not to let the undersized hat fall from his oversized skull. Catching a glimpse of the crimson brim in his vision, Mario's eyes brightened and his expressive ears perked up. There was almost an air of pride around him.  
With a few sparse sniffles, Luigi tilted his head just enough to see Mario's lighter expression. Translating his body language into appreciation, Luigi smiled and patted his brothers huge shoulder, overjoyed that he had finally managed to lift Mario's spirits even if only by a small margin.   
"I promise, Mario..." Luigi panted, his breathing having begun an almost hiccuping pattern. "I'm gonna find a way to change you back. I promise you, no matter what it takes."  
Luigi produced a tiny, hushed gasp, surprised by the sudden feel of hands on his wounded leg. Mario practically threw his head down to see what had caused the young man's startled response, but quickly relaxed again when he saw the Royal Guard kneeled down beside him. The toad gently grabbed and lifted Luigi's foot into his lap and, with quick and incredibly precise movements, began effortlessly winding a sterile gauze around the glistening wound.   
"With all due respect, Master Luigi..." He mumbled, his voice sounding understanding but concerned. "Do you even know what it was that caused Mario to change, let alone how to cure it? Is there any sort of plan to support your promise..?"  
As the cloth made contact with his flesh and pulled tighter, Luigi couldn't help but produce tiny yelps in pain. "Well... No. I don't actually know what it was that made Mario change." He admitted. "But I figure someone has to know. The castle doctors know plenty about rare diseases and infections from around the world. I kind of thought we would bring him back to the castle and figure out what to do from there."  
"I'm not sure... A beast that size?" The toad finished winding the last bit and fastened the end in place with a metal clasp. "Where would we even keep him?"  
"That's almost the least of our concerns." The second soldier approached, getting a closer look at Mario's beast shape. "What about Toadsworth? He would never allow such a creature to reside within the same walls as her Majesty, Princess Peach. If you brought Master Mario back looking like... well, like this, Toadsworth would have an aneurysm."  
Mario's dark worries began to slink back into his thoughts as he listened to the royal castle guards quarrel about what to do next. Maybe he had been right in the first place; perhaps there really wasn't any hope for him.   
But Luigi wasn't about to back down. He carefully used his now wrapped limb to pivot around, propping his back against Mario's arm. "But that's just it!" He explained, beginning to get excited. "What about Princess Peach? She has authority over Toadsworth! We just need to get her say so, and we can take Mario back with or without Toadsworth's permission."  
The soldiers shrugged and nodded silently in agreement. Mario was less enthused. Luigi had to cling tightly to the scaly arm he was propped against to avoid falling over as the large creature began to shift. Mario, producing a steady stream of ragged, unsure whines, lifted his hips from the rain slicked ground and stood himself up on all fours again, attempting to shy away from the others.  
But Luigi wasn't about to release his hold on the beast's appendage. He felt Mario's attempts to retreat and responded by gripping him even tighter, not ready to lose him a second time.   
"Mario, wait! What's wrong?" He pleaded, studying his brothers expression but finding it difficult to understand his thoughts. "Are you afraid of going back to the castle?"  
The toad soldiers also approached, attempting to help Luigi solve the strange game of charades. "Could he, perhaps, be injured?" The first asked, his hands on his hips and tilting his head slightly. "The gashes on his chest seem to have already coagulated..."  
The other royal guards eyes widened with realization. "I think it's more likely that... He's worried about the reaction his mutation will receive from..."  
A sudden, hauntingly familiar shriek pierced the air, triggering an immediate instinctive response in both the brothers and the royal soldiers. Luigi instantly felt his heart sink; this couldn't be happening. Not now. It was the worst reaction he could've hoped for.   
To Mario's horror, the source of the scream was clear through the steady rain; it was Princess Peach. She had tired of waiting in the place the guards had requested she stay and so had wandered over to see what was happening. That scream; he had unfortunately heard it more times than he could count. It was usually reserved for some of the most heinous villains in the land. It was her purest cry for help when she found herself being kidnapped or otherwise threatened. It could only be triggered by an ungodly amount of terror consuming her entire being. And now it had been directed squarely at Mario. His body became frozen in place, his shimmering eyes open wide.  
He could feel the unmistakable twinge of his very heart shattering into a thousand pieces.   
Frantically, the Royal Guards bolted to their princess's side, trying their very best to defuse the situation. "Your majesty! Please!" One began to shout, placing a firm hand to the young woman's dainty wrist. "Don't be alarmed! It's only Mario!"  
Peach had already come to that conclusion, given Luigi's description of Mario's new 'monster' form. But the initial shock of seeing the creature had startled her worse than she could have predicted. She stared un-moving into the beast's eyes, praying to the heavens that this was all a nightmare and that she could escape by simply awaking. It was just too awful to possibly be real.   
A streak of brilliant white caused her vision to drift. Slowly, her gaze moved down the front of the monster and onto the man clinging desperately to it's forelimb. Most all of his leg, from just above his knee to the top of his ankle, was wrapped tightly in a medical gauze, accented by a splotch of dark, ruby red radiating from its center. Her vision drifted further still, finally coming to rest on the long, blade like claws still marked with a matching red.   
"Luigi, your leg..." Peach barely managed a whisper, clasping her hands across her chest. "Did he... Did Mario do that to you..?"  
That was all he could take. Mario was a threat. He refused to risk the safety of the two people he cared for most in this world for a second longer. The further he was from them, the better off they'd be.   
Once more, the creature tried to pull away. But the man attached to its arm still held fast. "Please, Mario! I'm fine!" Luigi wailed, beginning to lose his grip. "Just don't go! Don't leave me again!"  
Mario whimpered a heartbroken cry. Not being able to speak and explain to Luigi the reasons for his actions was the worst torture of all. But he knew what he had to do. He knew Luigi would forget him in time.   
Feeling his grip weakening significantly, Mario gently brought his face down to his brothers again. Using his snout, he pried Luigi from his arm and firmly pushed him backwards towards Peach and the others. Luigi, unable to construct a sentence through his overwhelming heart break, clung tight to Mario's large, bull sized head, his grip anchored on his two largest horns. But his strength was dwindling. With a quick flick of the head, Mario was able to break his hold and fling his brother into the startled Princess, at the same time flinging his hat down between his eyes. He knew he could rely on Luigi to watch over Peach in his absence.  
"Please..." Luigi sobbed in one last ditch effort to stop him. "Please stay here..."  
His cries were like daggers to Mario's heart. He whined sharp squeals like a crying dog. Still, his mind was made up. He dropped his head to allow the red cap to fall from his face and onto the rain soaked ground. Using his mouth, he gently picked up the object and placed it at Luigi's feet.   
The gesture didn't go unnoticed. Mario; the real Mario, was gone.   
And with that, the beast quickly darted away at unmatchable speeds. In a manner of seconds, he was gone.   
But they could still hear its mournful cries in the distance.


	8. Chapter 8

He was gone. Luigi had tried to stop him, but it had been no use. Mario had managed to flee, retreating once more to some mysterious hiding place far beyond the horizon, taking with him all of Luigi's recently rediscovered feelings of relief and hope. It felt like, once again, his poor, aching heart had been torn asunder. Luigi could almost feel the raw and jagged stab wounds burning beneath his ribs. He stood there in the epicenter of his nightmare in the very place where the chaos had started, half leaned against the Princess to make up for the absent support from his wounded leg, breathing heavily in the dying rains. It took him a moment to realize that the rains had become significantly calmer, and that the downpour of moisture still flooding his face was stemming from his own broken sobs.   
He remained there with an un-moving gaze for several minutes, as if desperately hoping that something would change Mario's mind and he'd return to Luigi's side and perhaps things would be okay. But his rational mind knew better. The soggy, crimson head piece laying pathetically at Luigi's feet was undeniable proof; Mario's mind was made up. If he could help it, he would make certain the brothers never crossed paths ever again. He had made this painful decision in an attempt to protect Luigi, but the gesture had only managed to thoroughly break his little brothers heart.   
Only after several minutes of painful silence and after the rains had finally passed completely did anyone dare to speak. One of the duo of Toads approached the Princess and the plumber from behind, the weight of his heavy gear coupled with his heavy heart nearly causing his body to drag on the ground.   
"A thousand apologies, your majesty..." The Royal Guard's once powerful voice now eked out at a whispers volume. "But I fear there is nothing left we can do here. Toadsworth was very insistent on us getting you back to the castle before your Royal meeting. We can escort Master Luigi back home, but we must begin heading back immediately after."  
Luigi, shaken from his trance by the sound of his name, turned his head quickly to face the woman keeping him upright. Without his older brother, Princess Peach was all he currently had. She acted as his support; both literally and emotionally. The thought of being alone sent shock-waves of freezing panic surging down his spine.   
"Y-you.... You..." Luigi stammered weakly, gazing directly into Peach's shimmering crystal eyes. "You can't... You wouldn't leave m-me all alone... Would you..? Please... Please don't leave..."  
Peach stared back at the injured man leaned against her with wide yet blind eyes, trying to regain her lost focus. Seeing Mario in his terrifying, monstrous form had sent her into a pure state of shock and bewilderment that was only just now beginning to fade. Reality was finally setting itself from fiction, and her mind slowly returned to what was happening here and now. As it did, the invisible barrier between her eyes and her thoughts lifted, and the image of Luigi's desperate expression became visible to her. His skin had turned a sickly white, accented by the deep purple splotches beneath his sunken eyes. Glossy salt stains trailed from the corners of his eyes to the bottoms of his cheeks and chin, tracing his torrent of tears. He was truly an emotional wreck.   
But Peach's attention was completely focused on those brilliantly blue irises of his, now encircled by a bloodshot red hue. It was clear genetics had dealt them the same hand when it came to their eyes. From every crystal highlight to every vibrant streak, Luigi's eyes exactly matched his brother's. For a brief moment, it almost felt like the blue orbs staring back at her had been Mario's. Peach even got excited, wanting so badly to believe that Mario was still here and okay. She had to snap herself out of that line of thinking, though. Mario's situation... It was just too painful to dwell upon right now.   
With a gentle touch, Peach helped to guide Luigi's arm around herself in a manner that provided more support to the man and took much needed strain off his injured leg. If she couldn't help Mario, then she was determined to do what she knew Mario would want her to in his absence; keep his treasured younger brother safe. She softly stroked his gloved hand with her own. "Don't you worry." She quietly reassured. "We're not leaving you here. We'll take you back to the castle with us. The doctors can give your leg the proper help it needs, and I'll make certain the guest room is set aside for you. We'll take care of you, Luigi."  
The heavy weight which had weighed Luigi down, the weight brought on by his fear of being left alone, was quickly lifted from his burdened shoulders. Feeling much lighter, Luigi shifted into a more upright posture and weakly smiled. How grateful he was to have a friend as helpful and caring as the kingdoms own Princess. He hoped with all his being that, with her assistance, he would find a way to save Mario.   
The royal soldier sighed, knowing full well there was no talking Peach out her decision. Though he knew it went against Toadsworth's specific directions, he figured the extra time it would take to bring Luigi back with them wasn't enough to make a fuss over. They'd still return relatively on schedule. The other toad guard, meanwhile, silently moved in front of the Princess, making sure the additional weight wasn't too bothersome as he passed her. Arriving just in front of her feet, he leaned down and delicately retrieved the water logged hat that layed at her feet. He uttered not a single word as he studied its embroidered emblem with a sigh, then turned and gently offered the cap to the man bearing its green counterpart.   
Luigi's bottom lip trembled as he reclaimed his brothers headpiece. As he drew it closer to his face, he noticed a few small, oblong leaves fall from its inner lining. The plant matter must've gotten tangled in Mario's coarse mane at some point, and had clung to the rain soaked hat during the brief period he had been wearing it. Luigi did his best to shake and wring as much water as he could from the cloth before solemnly placing it back over his own cap once more.   
It took a few painful missteps before Luigi found the best way for him to walk without causing his leg further damage. His rhythm was a tad sluggish and awkward, relying heavily on the support from the Princess beside him, but it would get him safely to the castle. Just ahead of them, the two Royal Guards marched perfectly in sync with one another, ready to protect the Princess and her companion from any danger that may dare to appear.   
As they continued down the muddy path, Luigi couldn't help thinking about his next move. He may have lost track of Mario for a second time, but he wasn't anywhere near ready to give up on him. He would find and fix his brother no matter how long it took. One thing was for certain, Mario wasn't going to return to the transformation site again anytime soon. In fact, as long as he was still a beast, Mario would do his best to stay far away from wherever Luigi may be. And if they did find him again, he would no doubt flee just as before, and he was far too swift to take chase. If only Luigi knew what would reverse Mario's monstrous mutation...  
Luigi turned his head to the sky and the ever-widening break in the gray clouds above. "I think..." He mumbled, not really sure if it was to himself or to Peach. "I think I'm gonna ask the castle doctors about Mario when I see them for my leg. They have to believe me now that I've got witnesses to back me up. And they're medical professionals. Maybe one of them knows at least something about this... this transformation nonsense."  
Peach quietly offered an understanding nod. She wasn't really sure if anyone knew what to do for such a bizarre condition, but she knew they didn't have many other options. The Royal Guards, it seemed, were even less confident.  
"I really must apologize, Master Luigi..." One of the soldiers began. "But I don't think Mario's affliction is something any medical doctor would be knowledgeable in. This is more than any illness or injury."  
The other toad produced a small grunt in agreement with his associate. "He's right." He nodded. "A doctor may not be able to help here. This is almost something that would require some voodoo witch doctor or eccentric mad scientist. And we don't exactly know anyone like that"  
Suddenly, something clicked in Luigi's mind, and his eyes instantly lit up.   
"I think I might know just the person." Luigi announced. 

The roaming party of four made a quick stop at the Mario Brothers home, which was still in its state of utter disarray. But they hadn't intended to stay long. Following Luigi's instructions, one of the Royal Guards quickly made his way to the back of the house and into the brothers bedroom, which had managed to escape Mario's rampage untouched. It took the toad only a moment to locate and nab the electronic sitting in Luigi's desk drawer, and he returned to the others in less than a minutes time.   
Luigi fumbled with the dual screened gadget as he continued his pained hobbling towards the kingdoms castle. It had been a while since he had last used the device, but he eventually managed to persuade the object into booting up. From there, it was just a matter of following the onscreen prompts to beam out a video chat request to the electronic gizmo's creator.   
The time it spent ringing with nothing to display but an ominous black screen felt like an eternity. Luigi wasn't even really sure if the device he was attempting to communicate with was still on or not. For all he knew, the inventor behind the design may have scrapped his gadget for parts after he no longer required staying in constant contact with the lanky plumber. Luigi could only hope that his signal would be received, and that the man on the other end would actually answer his call.   
Stopping mid-ring, the top screen of the device finally came to life. It lit up in a flash of tv static, slowly fading to reveal the familiar silhouette that Luigi had been desperate to see.   
"L--gi... I- th-t y-u..?" The speakers coughed and sputtered with the hiss of interference, making the onscreen man's voice nearly impossible to make out. The image, too, began to flicker with bouts of harsh fuzz, threatening to abandon the signal completely.   
"Hello?? It's Luigi! Can you hear me?" Luigi pleaded, giving the device a sharp shake as if trying to physically clear the signal. "You're breaking up!"  
"It -s yo-!" The voice responded as the static began to ease. "Giv- me ju-t a mom-nt while I see -f I can't tr-ck your sig-al..."  
Finally, the screens image returned, now coming in clear enough to make out the older man's time-worn face. As he appeared to fiddle with off screen dials and switches, the picture became even sharper, and the hissing static blasting through the speakers calmed into a soft, electric hum. Satisfied with the signal clearance, the strange, small man sat back in his cushy work chair with a smile, adjusting his enormous glasses ever so slightly.   
"Ah! There you are, Luigi!" He nodded happily. "This thing hasn't seen a signal in ages, let alone one sent from that far away. Frankly, I'm surprised its receiving anything, given that I only designed it for close range contact and not long distance calls. But I prattle on! It's been too long, Luigi! Tell me, what have you been up to lately? Still dealing with the occasional spook from time to time?"  
Luigi gently shifted against Peach's support as he continued forward, breathing a long sigh of relief. "Professor Gadd! I'm so happy to see you right now. I have a... well, I guess a paranormal problem that I need your help with right away!"  
E. Gadd chuckled in his familiar airy voice that sounded as miniature as he looked. "Well, if its paranormal problems you have, then you came to the right professor!" He adjusted his coat with an air of pride. "Of course, I don't have to tell you that, do I? What is it th-t I can do for you, m- boy?"  
Luigi took a moment to glance over at Peach, who simply responded with a nod in affirmation. Turning back towards the gadgets screens, he took a deep breath in mental preparation for the insane explanation he had to convey. "Uh... Well, you see..." He mumbled, his eyes drifting to the path rolling beneath is feet. "It's something that's happened to Mario. This might sound crazy, but, he just... He started acting weird a few days ago before he suddenly--"  
"Hang o- ju-t a sec-nd, Luigi..." Gadd suddenly interrupted, his voice and his image fading once more into fuzzy static. He leaned forward and attempted making further adjustments to the device before him, but it seemed as though the interference was determined to stay. "Th-s blast-d contr-pt-on... I ca- bar-ly make you o-t a-ymore.  
"Tell ya wh-t, Luigi; Hows abo-t you jus- come on down to m- new lab -nd we can t-lk in pers-n!" Gadd spoke louder to overcome the worsening static. "I'-l set yo- up with a be-ter commun-cat-r, an- you can t-ll me all abou- this paran-rmal prob-em of yours! I've got a tempo-ary lab set -p at th- base of t-e north-rn mountain ridge, ju-t past Maple Wo-d Fields. I simply must sh-w you the incredib-e phen-menon I'm stud-ing here!  
"And yo- should brin- along that broth-r of yours, to-. I ha-dly get to see -he fel-ow when he's not trap-ed in some form of ghos-ly paint-ng, ho ho!"


	9. Chapter 9

The strange, double screened device quickly shut itself down in a final sputter of static fuzz, the images on the screens pinching inwards into small bright stars at light speed before giving way to the empty blackness. In an instant, all connections to the aging professor had been severed, leaving Luigi to squirm in the unintentional sting that Gadd's last words had left him. Bring Mario along; if only Gadd knew...  
Luigi solemnly folded the gizmo shut, disappointed that the static had prevented him from describing Mario's predicament. He still had no idea if Professor Gadd could really help to reverse the effects of Mario's monstrous mutation, or even if he knew anything about this sort of beast-transformation curse at all. If he were to meet up with Gadd only to discover he could do nothing to help, then Luigi would've wasted so much precious time in which Mario would only continue to get worse. Still, the words of the Toad guard rang true; his best bet for finding a cure would be in the hands of a type of 'mad scientist'. Professor Elvin Gadd definitely fit the description. If he really wanted to fix Mario, then finding Gadd was really his only option.  
Still weakly hobbling on his numbed, mangled extremity, Luigi slid the electronic into his pocket and produced a defeated sigh. "Well, I guess we're going to Maple Wood Fields..." He mumbled quietly.   
"Not quite." One of the Royal Soldiers marching just ahead of Luigi and the Princess supporting him blurted out sternly. In a single fluid motion, the toad spun around to face the plumber, now walking backwards to maintain his perfect step with the other guard. "I'm afraid just you're going to Maple Wood Fields." He corrected. "We have strict orders to see the Princess home before her important meetings. We can't allow any more distractions or side trips. Besides; the Princess shouldn't stray far from the castle for this long. There's no telling when Bowser will make his next move."  
Panic setting in almost immediately, Luigi turned to Peach with desperation in his eyes. Finding E. Gadd was their best hope for saving Mario. But Luigi was in no condition to go alone. He could barely manage to walk under his own power. With a fear stricken whimpering, he silently begged for Peach to stay by his side.  
But the Princess responded with a defeated shake of her head. "I'm sorry, Luigi." She sighed, her eyes fluttering just slightly. "I'm worried about Mario, too. But these meetings are part of my royal duties as Princess. I can't risk the Mushroom Kingdoms foreign relations by not attending."  
Suddenly, a more stern expression took hold of Peach's normally softened face as her eyes locked onto the blood soaked bandages covering Luigi's injured leg. "Besides..." She continued, now speaking slightly louder than before. "You shouldn't be going anywhere without seeing a doctor about that leg. Maple Wood Fields borders the Rolling Foothills and the Slate Ridge Mountains. The paths are difficult enough to traverse without some form of leg trauma. Going there alone in the state you're in; you're just asking for trouble."  
Luigi turned his gaze to the wounded extremity in question, taking note of just how large the red stain had grown over time. The numbness from his adrenaline and endorphins made it easy for him to forget just how much damage the beastly claws had dealt him. Still, it didn't matter. As injured as he was, he couldn't bring himself to care. Mario was somewhere out there; lost, alone, afraid, and quickly losing control. His own wounds meant nothing to him. He only wanted to find his brother.   
"I... I can't..." Luigi slowly shook his head. "I have to go. What about Mario..?"  
"That's just the thing!" Peach fired right back, keeping an air of compassion in her voice while remaining firm. "What about Mario? What do you think he would say if he knew you were rushing around the kingdom on a leg that damaged?"  
A sharp stab of guilt tore through Luigi's core at the question, and all but his limping legs froze. A thought he had been trying to ignore had been painfully thrust to the forefront of his mind; What would Mario say? When again he moved, Luigi dropped his head, ashamed.   
"H... He'd say..." Luigi's voice began to tremble. "He'd say that I need to be taking care of myself, and worrying about him later. He'd say that the best thing I could do to help him is to make sure that I stay safe. If he knew I was hurt, he'd demand that I drop everything else to become well again..."  
The princess gave a sympathetic nod of affirmation. "Because you know that nothing is more important to him than your well being." She added in a gentle whisper. "I always promised Mario that if anything should ever happen to him, I'd make certain you were taken care of. We'll have the castle doctors patch you up first, and then I'll get you a ride to Professor Gadd's Maple Woods lab." Peach squeezed Luigi's shoulder tight in a show of her support. "We'll take care of Mario. But first, we need to take care of you."  
Luigi, his eyes still pointed towards his slowly shuffling feet, barely managed a nod. As the thoughts he had been repressing continued to bubble towards the surface of his brain, he quickly noticed a watery haze rising into his vision and a violent trembling creeping up his spine. Unable to hold back any longer, the flood gates suddenly burst open in a torrent of tears, and Luigi's fragile state of mind finally broke under the pressure. His sobbing escalated almost instantly into a pained, broken-hearted wailing, his fingers needily digging into Peach's clothing in a desperate bid for the emotional support and comfort he normally found in Mario. His mind had found itself stuck on his absent sibling. More specifically; it was stuck on why the invincible and world famous Mario would care so deeply for a pathetic failure like Luigi. How could it be that the greatest hero of the world, nay galaxy, could find Luigi's well being more important than his own? Luigi's wailing became even louder; he felt so undeserving.   
There was little Peach felt she could do for a man so defeated. Still, she offered everything she could, bringing Luigi close in an understanding embrace in reaction to his needy clinging. She did what she had seen Mario do so many times in the past, and began delicately running a palm down the broken man's heaving back. "I know." She whispered, trying to control her own overwhelming emotion. "I know. It'll be alright."  
Almost instantaneously, Luigi experienced a Pavlovian response to the gentle petting, recognizing it as the tactic Mario had so often used to calm his brothers cries. A wave of memories from his childhood overtook the negative thoughts clouding his mind; visions of Mario with a soothing smile gently assuring the younger sibling that there was nothing to fear. His breathing began to steady, and his entire tensed form began to relax once more in Peach's arms. When he managed to regain at least the majority of his composure, he slowly released the Princess from his panicked grasp and brought an unsteady hand to his head.   
With a few final sniffles, Luigi grabbed the crimson cap from his head and brought it into his vision. He ran his thumb across the red and white emblem that marked its center, appreciating the embroidered texture. "I just wish I could help him..." Luigi whimpered.

Despite taking the same path back as they had set out upon, the journey of returning to the castle felt like it went on for miles. The 'alarm' hormones that Luigi's body had produced in a panic were dwindling, and the numbness in his leg began to give way to the agonizing pain of mangled flesh. Each step became more difficult than the last. Just when he began to fear his body simply couldn't go on any further, Peach's Castle finally appeared on the horizon before them, its shape almost glowing in the radiant sunlight all around. It was exactly the motivation he had required to make the final push forward.  
And as they crossed the stone bridge leading across the moat to the well guarded entrance, Luigi noticed a peculiar silhouette perched atop a lower portion of the castle's roof. His eyes lit up as he realized just what it the figure was. He had almost forgotten about him entirely. Perhaps, Luigi hoped, he'd be willing to offer some form of assistance to finding and rescuing the lost Mario monster.   
Just before the doors, Luigi came to a sudden stop, mildly startling Peach. He turned his head to the shadowy form balanced high above the ground and enthusiastically waved in greeting. "Hey!" He called out to the rooftop. "Yoshi! Come here!"  
Up on the red tiled ledge, the slumbering reptilian creature shifted in his sleep, the familiar voice managing to rouse him only slightly. As a cold blooded animal, Yoshi enjoyed flat, high surfaces where he could soak up the energizing warmth of the sun. Peach's castle had always been a particular favorite sunning-spot for him. The red tiles were perfect for reflecting the heat and light from the heavens to keep him snoozing for hours. It also made him easily accessible to his closest friends, should they ever need his swift speed or endless endurance.   
When the voice called out a second time, Yoshi managed to lift his sleepy snout and turn towards the source of the sound, his eyes opening into tiny slits. It took just a moment for his tired eyes to focus, and he found to his delight that the form below was that of his green clad friend whom he had shared a special bond with for the majority of his life. Excited to see what news Luigi seemed so eager to give him, he quickly stretched his achy limbs with a hearty yawn before carefully pushing himself into a standing position and leaping down to the people below.   
"Yoshi!" Luigi smiled, lifting himself completely from Princess Peach's support. "Its so good to see you!"  
Without prompt, the green dinosaur shaped animal happily burrowed his bulbous snout into Luigi's chest, emitting a chorus of joyful clicks and chitters. In response, Luigi happily embraced the trustworthy creature. "I missed you, too!" He quietly giggled.   
Yoshi pulled away suddenly and excitedly peered over Luigi's shoulder. His face took on an expression of confusion, and he searched every inch of the space surrounding the younger plumber, as if he had been expecting something that he couldn't find. Besides Peach and the two Royal toad Guards, it seemed Luigi was alone.   
Baffled, Yoshi looked back to his companion once more. This time, a brilliant red object that he had overlooked earlier caught his attention, and he focused his gaze just above Luigi's forehead. Where he had expected to find the same green "L" marked hat he knew Luigi wore constantly, he instead saw a red object marked with a familiar "M". This was all it took for Yoshi to realize that something was dreadfully wrong.   
Quickly becoming more nervous, Yoshi chirped an inquisitive purring and nudged the brim of Mario's cap with his snout, then looked to Luigi for a response.   
Luigi only sighed. "Actually..." He breathed, his smile vanishing in an instant. "That's what I wanted to ask you about."


	10. Chapter 10

As Luigi did his best to try and explain to Yoshi the unbelievable incident that had left Mario in the form of a gigantic monster, The Royal Toad Guards gently guided Princess Peach past the plumber and into the castle walls. Though they knew she was interested in hearing the entire story in detail again, they also knew that she had royal duties to perform. And her senior attendant was counting on them to make sure she got things done. They would leave Luigi some space to bring Yoshi up to speed, knowing he would accompany them inside once he was finished.   
As soon as the elaborately decorated mahogany door eased shut with a dull, echoed thud, a short and frazzled form appeared from one of the far rooms down the great hall. It took the aging toad less than a second to recognize the three royal figures who had entered unannounced. With a weary yet overall relieved sigh, Toadsworth hurriedly hobbled down the hall with the help of his knobby walking stick to meet up with the returning Princess and her guards.   
"Your majesty! Thank heavens you're back." The elder toad wheezed. "I know you were only a few minutes later than what we agreed on, but I couldn't help worrying you had run into trouble somewhere along the way." Toadsworth came to a stop in his standard position just beside his Princess. "It's a good thing your first foreign representative today is so understanding. I trust Master Luigi made it home safely?"  
The two Royal Soldiers standing opposite the Princess and her attendant shared a solemn glance. Peach, too, was overcome with renewed sorrow for the heroic brothers predicament, and she lowered her head to her chest in despair. Toadsworth, baffled as to what the others seemed to know that he did not, nervously looked about and waited for an explanation.  
"It's Mario, Toadsworth..." Peach brushed a lock of golden hair from her face. "Luigi was right. Something... Something terrible has happened to him."  
"Ah ah! My dear Princess! I'm afraid you'll have to stop there!" The senior steward interrupted with a shake of his hand, setting himself between the elite guards. "I understand your concern, but these meetings of yours are simply too important to our alliances to be missed. The first representative has already been waiting for you, and I must insist that you see them immediately. I will have the Royal Guards fill me in on the details of Master Mario so that, once you have time, I can make certain we get whatever problems he has taken care of."  
Peach opened her mouth to protest, but ultimately decided against it. Explaining what they had witnessed on their brief journey would take more time than she was willing to spare. And he was right; these meetings could not be missed. She had enough to worry about without piling on the fear of a newly destroyed alliance. Besides, Peach had arrived just as Mario had taken off again. The Soldiers had arrived there before her, and so had more to tell about the nightmarish situation.   
Mentally steeling herself, the Princess gave her adviser a quick nod of affirmation.   
"The foreign representative is waiting for you just up the stairs." Toadsworth gestured with his cane. "I've left your papers up there as well, in case you needed them. I'll be sure to join you as soon as I can."  
With that, the three loyal toads bowed to their Princess before heading off down another hall in the labyrinthine castle. Peach drew in a deep breath in an attempt to steady her frayed nerves. Though her mind was littered with thoughts and concern for her beloved hero, it would have to wait. This was her job; her price to pay for her royal blood. She just hoped her first royal meeting wouldn't be too stressful.   
Finally, Peach made her way up the shimmering marble stairs to the patiently waiting representative.   
She just barely crossed the final step when she heard a familiar voice echo through the halls.   
"It's about time you got here! Don't you know you shouldn't keep royalty waiting?"  
Peach was instantly aware who it was behind the bold voice and snarky humor. It was a voice she had heard many times in the past, and she was all too happy to hear it now. The first foreign affairs meeting she had been silently dreading now seemed so much less stressful. For this wasn't just any representative; it was someone to whom Peach was very close.   
Appearing from the side hall, the overly energetic royal waved excitedly at her fellow Princess with her standard cheery smile. "Surprise!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. "Didja miss me?"   
"Daisy!" Peach couldn't help but return the infectious smile. "You're the foreign representative?"  
Princess Daisy faked her best 'angry' face, placing her hands on her hips. "Whatever happened to 'hello'? Sorry to disappoint you, but yes, I am the foreign representative. So I guess you'll just have to put up with me." Daisy sauntered to the nearby pink and white chair and flopped down, gesturing towards the other seat and letting her smile show through once more.   
Peach placed her dainty palm on her chest, moving towards and sitting in the chair Daisy had motioned her to. "No, I didn't mean it like that." She quietly giggled. "I just... I was expecting your generic irate monarch deciding to pile their troubles on to my own. There have been so many as of late. But after the morning I've had, I just... I really..." Peach batted her eyelashes in an attempt to mask her crumbling facade, but a single tear managed to break through. She gently wiped her cheek with a gloved hand. "I'm just so happy that its someone as understanding as you."  
Noting Peach's sudden duress, Daisy's smile quickly fell into a more sympathetic expression. "Hey, hey. It's alright." The orange clad Princess reassured, leaning forward to place a hand atop Peach's. "What kind of morning did you mean?"  
Taking Daisy's hand in her own, Peach breathed a long and shuddering sigh. "I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you." She solemnly shook her head.   
Daisy retracted her hand with a scoff. "With the insanity that's been taking place in my kingdom?" She laughed. "I'm not sure anything can seem far-fetched to me now. So what's going on?"  
Reassured, Peach lifted her gaze to the ceiling, trying to remember every detail of this waking nightmare. "Well..." She began, daintily folding her hands in her lap. "Things first started when Mario had this angry outburst at the officials meeting yesterday. Later that night, Luigi burst into the castle unexpectedly, and he just looked awful."  
Daisy's eyes widened slightly. "Luigi? Was he okay?"  
Peach nodded. "He was fatigued but he was alright. We let him sleep in a guest room. And when he woke up this morning, he started raving about how Mario had become a monster." Peach picked up the pace slightly, not wanting to be dismissed despite how crazy her story was becoming. "I thought maybe Mario had just been in a bad mood that day and Luigi had had a nightmare as a result. And since I wanted to check up on Mario anyway, I offered to take Luigi home.   
"But he wasn't mistaken. It hadn't been a nightmare. I saw him myself, and I swear you that Mario was a monster; a huge beast with horns and claws and a thousand sharp fangs." Another tear broke free despite Peach's efforts to hold her sorrows back. She once more gracefully ran a palm over her pink tinted flesh. "I know it sounds crazy, I know it's impossible to believe, but I assure you that it's the truth."  
Fearful of Daisy's reaction to her claims but curious nonetheless, Peach glanced at the woman opposite her. For a moment, Daisy didn't say anything. Instead, she furrowed her brow in thought, her eyes darting about the room but looking at nothing.   
"So it's happened here, too..." She spoke at last in a surprisingly serious tone. "And to Mario, no less."  
Peach could feel her pulse quickening as she took in that last statement. "What do you mean? Where has this happened before?"  
Growing more restless by the minute, Daisy took to her feet and began pacing back and forth with nervous energy. "That's why I came here for this meeting." She explained. "It's happened in Sarasaland. A famed geologist suddenly went missing. At the same time, we started receiving reports that a dark, 11 foot tall, raven-like monster was terrorizing the towns nearby the geologists residence. At first, people started to assume that the monster must have killed the older man. But then others started claiming that the beast was missing a finger on one hand; the same finger the geologist had lost years ago after a mining incident. That's when the rumors started spreading that the monster hadn't killed the man, but rather was the man himself."  
"Wait a minute!" Peach leapt to her feet. "There are other people out there transforming into these creatures? But why? What's causing this? And why did it effect Mario and this geologist specifically?"  
"There's another monster like Mario?" A far more meek and reserved voice rose from the stairs behind the princesses. The two royal figures turned just in time to see the younger hero limping up the final few steps, wincing from the pain in his mangled leg.  
"Luigi!" Peach's voice suddenly became far more empathetically concerned. "Goodness, what are you doing? You shouldn't be walking up stairs on a leg that hurt!"  
Still cringing from the ever worsening agony of his own stubbornness, Luigi gently shook his head. "I know, Peach. I'm sorry..." He spoke in a voice that conveyed his pain level. "I just... I heard you talking about Mario. And that there might be other monsters out there besides him."  
After taking a moment to breathe, Luigi finally lifted his gaze and opened his tightly clenched eyes.   
Luigi suddenly stood more upright with a surprised expression. He knew Peach had been talking to someone, but he hadn't been expecting to see the energetic Sarasaland Princess. A wave of anxious energy washed through him and he could feel his chest tightening.  
"Daisy!?" He shouted, instantly embarrassed by how loud his voice had come out. Flustered, Luigi could feel his cheeks heating up dramatically, and he nervously coughed as a way to restart his thoughts. "I-I... I mean..." He stuttered, quickly snatching the stacked hats off of his head. "Hi...- Hello Princess Daisy... I didn't know you were here."  
Though both Daisy and Peach were of the same high level of royal importance, Luigi had always felt compelled to act differently towards the two. Peach was someone he viewed as a close friend. Over time, he became comfortable speaking to her in a more informal manner. She, in turn, reciprocated the friendship. She was more than happy to invite him over alongside Mario for tea, and the two often shared gardening and baking tips.   
But something was different about Daisy. He felt compelled to act his best around her, almost as if it was imperative that he prove himself to her. He had brought up this feeling of intimidation to Mario in the past, and his older brother had found it humerus. Why, he had wondered, would Luigi see the laid back, less than lady-like Daisy as the one he had to impress? Mario had always had the exact opposite feelings; where it was Peach who deserved a more royal treatment and Daisy was someone he could easily joke around with as a friend.   
Daisy smiled, rocking her hips and folding her arms across her chest. "How many times do you have to see me before you just start calling me 'Daisy'? You don't address Peach by her formal title." She had always found Luigi's nervous antics amusing, and this display had been no exception. Still, her brighter expression hadn't lasted long, quickly falling back into a more concerned gaze as she noted the size of the ruby stain decorating the white bandages around Luigi's left leg. "Oh my gosh, Luigi! What happened to you?"   
The young mans mind flashed with memories of being pinned to the ground by his monster of a brother, gigantic claws impaling his extremity. Kneading the hats in his hands, he quickly turned away. "It's... nothing..." He mumbled.  
Knowing not to venture into a sensitive area, Peach was quick to change the subject. "Luigi. Daisy says there have been reports of a second giant monster in Sarasaland. One that had been a person until they suddenly transformed."  
Just as she expected, Luigi instantly perked back up. "Then it's not just Mario!" he exclaimed. "There's something that causes this! Professor Gad just has to know about it!" The young hero, his hope growing by the second, energetically flipped the red and green hats back onto his head. "I'll go ask the castle doctors if they can do something about my leg, and then I'll find the lab in Maple Wood Fields!"  
"Hold on. Don't get too excited." Peach warned. "I still have several representatives to meet with. I can't leave until I've spoken to all of them, or Toadsworth will have a fit. Even though I'd like to hear from the Professor as soon as possible..."  
"Actually, I was thinking of taking Yoshi. I'll explain things to Gadd and get him on the same page for when you meet up with us after your meetings."  
"And maybe..." Daisy eagerly joined in, happily getting caught up in the excitement. "We can use these meetings to see if any of the other Kingdoms have been seeing these monsters. Maybe one of em even knows more about the whole condition in general!"   
Luigi looked to the foreign princess with a surprised yet subdued smile. "You... Want to help too?"  
Daisy, ever enjoying Luigi's shy responses, threw her hands to her hips and laughed. "You think I'm gonna let you, Yoshi, and Peach hog all the excitement? This is Mario we're talking about! I'm with ya all the way!  
"Now hurry up! The sooner we get things moving, the sooner we fix this whole monster mess!"


	11. Chapter 11

Luigi gently lifted the brims of his two stacked caps, allowing the crisp, forest breeze to flow soothingly through his soft umber hair, cooling him significantly. A good portion of the first leg of the journey had involved enduring direct sunlight, and the breath of cool wind on his scalp was just what he needed to combat the overheating. Feeling slightly re-energized, Luigi readjusted himself atop Yoshi's back for a better view of what was ahead. 

Studying the unevenness of the terrain found on the path before them, Luigi absentmindedly brought a hand to his weakened leg, pulling up the denim slightly to scratch at the fresh gauze beneath. The castle doctors had done an excellent job caring for his mutilated extremity. After a thorough exam, they discovered that Mario's claws had, miraculously, missed every major vein and tendon, meaning that the wound wasn't nearly as devastating as it appeared. In fact, their only major concern (besides the threat of major bleeding, which the toad guards had already handled) had been the chance of infection, seeing as Mario's claws hadn't exactly been sterile upon entering his skin, but that was easily tackled with a full saline flush followed by an antibiotic booster. And after administering an intravenous painkiller and wrapping the puncture in a new layer of gauze, they had sent Luigi on his way. 

Still, even though they had offered the best care for the injury, Luigi knew his leg was still far too weak to overcome the rocky path. It would take time for his body to return to full strength. Luigi was incredibly grateful to have a loyal friend like Yoshi to assist him in his more treacherous travels. 

The eager, green reptile effortlessly tromped across the Rolling Foothills rough path with a spring in his step. The subtle scents of fresh fruits and honey wafting in the breezes blown from the Maple Wood forests kept Yoshi feeling alert and invigorated. Not that he needed the extra motivation, though. His naturally saddled body was built for transporting heavy cargo. To him, Luigi's weight was hardly a burden. Besides, when it came to the Mario Brothers, Yoshi would travel to the ends of the Earth to assist them. Knowing that the kingdom heroes needed him was all the motivation he required. 

As Yoshi carried him further along the path, Luigi's thoughts began to drift to their destination and the man waiting for them there. Luigi had met the quirky Professor during a previous incident that had put Mario in mortal peril. It had been the combined efforts of Gadd's brilliant inventions and know how along with Luigi's unwavering spirit and dedication that had saved the older sibling from an eternity trapped within a canvas prison. Luigi only hoped that this would be the case yet again. He silently prayed that E. Gadd had at least some knowledge of this beastly curse, and that they would be able to work together to revert Mario back into his human form. Because if the paranormal professor didn't have the answer, Luigi would have no where else to turn. 

His thoughts remained miles away for the last leg of the journey. He didn't even realize as the path became a slow descent towards the foot of the northern mountains, which now towered high above the forest field below. It was only when his loyal mount began to chirp for his attention that Luigi finally broke free from his racing thoughts and noticed the odd little shack firmly attached to the slate ridge wall behind it, with a hundred tiny gizmos and meters sticking out at every angle. The unique architectural design was instantly recognizable; this was E. Gadd's lab. 

Yoshi eased to a stop just in front of the strangely shaped shed. Half muted electronic beeps could be heard emanating from inside, as well as the constant intimidating hum of electricity flowing through thick, snaking wires coating the inner wall. The smell of raw power hung in the air; Luigi could swear he felt his skin pluck the energy from the sky, allowing it to course through his veins. 

With a feeling of anxious anticipation rapidly growing within him, Luigi carefully dismounted Yoshi, taking extra care when applying pressure to his left leg. Yoshi watched him closely, making sure he didn't require extra assistance to maintain his balance. When it was clear that the young plumber was more than capable of holding his own, Yoshi purred a slow, rumbly whine and pointed his snout to the nearby thick of trees. Luigi responded with a smile and a gentle pat on the lizards spined head. 

"Alright, then." He laughed. "Thanks for the ride, Yoshi. You go find some food while I talk to the Professor. You need to get your strength back up for the next leg of the journey!" 

Pleased as always that Luigi had perfectly understood his gestures, Yoshi cheerfully hummed an upbeat tune before spinning around and bounding into the sweet smelling forest. Luigi knew he could trust Yoshi to be back whenever he needed him again. 

When Yoshi had fully disappeared from his sight, the young hero turned once more to the strange shack's entrance. Finally mustering some level of confidence, Luigi struck a series of sturdy knocks on the weather worn wooden door. "Professor?" He called, attempting to project his voice despite his natural shyness. "Professor Gadd? Are you in there?"

"Ah, Luigi, is that you?" A raspy hollering echoed from somewhere deep within the structure. "I was wondering when you'd show! Come in, come in! I'm just finishing a few experiments in the back room!"

With only a deep breath as preparation, Luigi accepted the invitation and slowly pushed the door in with a whiny creak. 

The inside of the shed looked exactly as Luigi had pictured it. Hundreds of strange electronics and scientific appliances littered every available surface, laying atop a bed of thousands of color coded cords that seemed to hold everything together. Large hanging wall charts as well as a few sparse dry erase boards were coated in chaotic scribbles and numerical measurements, so complex and confusing that they might as well have been written in a foreign language. The beeping Luigi had heard outside now chirped at full volume, and the intimidating hum of electricity had grown into a continuous, threatening growl radiating all around. From the main room branched two hallways. One continued left, and appeared more or less home-like. Luigi could see what looked to be a kitchen table, complete with a hot plate and small iron kettle on its surface. The other lead straight back, through a dimly lit hallway lined with more of the wires that flowed from the one end of the structure to the other. 

Closing the front door behind him and careful not to bump any of the electronic obstacles in his path, Luigi slowly worked his way towards the rear of the shack with only the wires and flickering fluorescent lights to guide his way. 

The short hallway spilled out into a vast open room, one that really seemed to give off the "mad scientist" vibe. A desk below a wall of giant monitors to the left, an open, sterile experiment chamber to the right, and all manner of crazy contraptions in the large space in between. Glancing up at the high ceiling, Luigi realized that this room had been carved out of the foreboding mountain that the shack had appeared attached to from the outside. It was less like a continuation of the building and more an adjoining cave, complete with uneven slate walls and the brisk chill of natural stone. 

And seated atop the rolling chair positioned just behind the desk and array of monitors was the eccentric Professor himself. 

Quickly finishing the typing he had started on the keyboard before him, Gadd spun his chair to face the familiar young plumber. "Luigi, my boy!" The older man laughed in greeting, using a free hand to adjust his bulky spectacles out of habit. "So good to see you again! I hope finding the place wasn't too much trouble." In one swift movement, Gadd leaned over the arm of his chair, grabbed a second rolling seat from against the wall and pulled it in between the two men. "Here, have a seat! We have so much to discuss!"

A relieved smile found it's way to Luigi's face as he eyed the second chair. "Thank you." He sighed, carefully easing himself down. Even with the pain numbed by medication, standing on his leg was still unpleasant at best. 

"It's no trouble at all." Gadd laughed as he leaned his seat back. "It appeared as though you were limping a bit. Is your leg bothering you, by chance?"

Luigi hated how noticeable his injury was. He hated having to relive the incident in his mind with every question he was posed. Maintaining his composure and gently rubbing a hand on the leg in question, Luigi breathed a solemn sigh. "That... Kind of has to do with that paranormal problem I was telling you about."

"Ah, yes!" The aging professor folded his hands and looked on in eager anticipation. "You were telling me about this before when the signal cut out. What is it that you've had a problem with?"

"Well, it's my brother, Mario." Luigi began, deciding it would be best to explain himself quickly rather than hesitate, as E. Gadd wasn't the type to doubt wild stories. "I noticed things were frustrating him more than usual. Something that would normally be a minor annoyance would send him into a rage. And if I tried to calm him down, he would turn his anger on me. He even started to get physically violent, attacking things that he used to care about."

Luigi took a moment to glance up at his audience, and was surprised to find the professor listening to his tale in quiet awe, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Gadd found his story completely enthralling, and Luigi couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not. 

"Eventually he took off on a furious rampage." Luigi continued, feeling a touch more uneasy. "And when I finally caught up to him, I saw him turn into this... giant.. monster right before my eyes. He would've attacked me, but he seemed to realize who I was and ran off instead. I went to find him again and tried to convince him to stay with me and get help, but he... he keeps losing control. After he accidentally tore my leg up with his claws, I think he felt guilty and ran away again. I want to help him... I want to find out what caused this and turn him back to normal. But I have no idea what caused all this, and I dont know how I'll ever find him again..."

"So it CAN infect humans..." Gadd muttered mostly to himself.

"What? What can?" Luigi was desperate for answers, and E. Gadd seemed to finally have some info. 

The professor leaned forward, folding his arms across his slim chest. "Luigi, I think you of all people will be most interested to learn what I've been researching here. Because if I'm not mistaken, your brother has been infected by the very same virus that has been plaguing this area; the same virus that ravaged this world long ago..."


	12. Chapter 12

"Follow me, Luigi. I want to show you what I've observed during my stay here."

The aging professor hopped down from his desk chair with a grunt. Before Luigi could question him, he walked past the plumber towards the large, Plexiglas experiment chamber beside them, motioning for Luigi to follow. Feeling that the answers to his questions were finally coming within his reach, the younger man clumsily accompanied the professor, enduring the weakness in his leg to keep pace. 

Gadd had to open a large security door to enter the testing chamber; one that required a pin number to gain access. As they both entered the fully enclosed space, the heavy door sealed shut behind them with a pneumatic hiss, preventing any test subject from escaping. Luigi could feel his adrenaline kicking in as he watched Gadd throw a nearby switch, opening a panel in the floor tiles. From the darkness of the depths appeared a long, flat cage, filling in the space above the now missing tiles. Little sounds came rustling from withing the box, and Luigi carefully looked to see what it contained. 

"A rabbit..?" He asked, genuinely confused. "You've been researching rabbits..?"

E. Gadd couldn't help but chuckle as he lifted the top of the small animal cage. "The rabbits are simply the easiest target for the infection." He explained. "I'm studying the virus that keeps affecting the fuzzy little fellows around here."

With great ease, the professor plucked the single brown rabbit from the enclosure, bringing it to his chest and cradling it gently in his arms. The small critter looked about nervously with wide eyes, its tall ears turning like radar to point at every incoming sound. Though it could find no current threats nearby, it remained on high alert, it's soft pink nose twitching and its teeth chattering quietly. 

"This..." Gadd gestured to the animal. "Is a normal, uninfected rabbit from this forest. Perky, alert, and overall in good health."

Luigi smiled at the adorable fluffy critter. He and his brother had always had a soft spot for animals. Making sure not to move too quickly, Luigi reached out a gentle hand and slowly stroked the little rabbits neck. It responded by contentedly closing it's eyes, convinced that this strange green man meant no harm. 

"Cute little rascals, aren't they?" Gadd laughed. "But recently, the rabbits around here have been... changing." 

The short professor carefully placed the animal back into its pristine cage, watching as it settled back into the nest of bedding it had dug out previously. By flipping the switch a second time, the cage was sent back down to the depths where it was stored, allowing the tiled floor to fill in the gap once more. 

"Now this..." E. Gadd sighed, moving just a few feet to the right and positioning himself by a second switch. "This is a rabbit that's been infected by VIRUS."

With no further delay, E. Gadd threw the second switch. A second section of the floor gave way, allowing a cage a good deal larger than the first to appear. But the professor had not intended to open this one. In fact, it's lid was firmly secured with an abhorrent amount of duct tape and metal clamps, much to Luigi's dismay. Once it had locked firmly in place, E. Gadd gestured for Luigi to look inside. After a brief moment of hesitation, the young plumber, with a shiver, finally approached the scuff marked glass. 

Without warning, a hideous, unidentifiable creature lunged at the cage wall with a monstrous screech, and Luigi flung himself backward and onto the floor in terror, despite the intense pain in his leg. Catching his breath in a series of panicked gasps, he watched as the hook fanged beast raked its black claws across the glass and slammed its fearsome jaws towards the terrified man, blindly determined to maim and destroy. If not for the sturdiness of the armored cage, it would have ensured Luigi's painful demise.   
"Wh... What is that!?" Luigi shrieked, skittering backwards across the floor with his palms. 

The old professor, his eyes locked on the creature in its prison, responded with a solemn shake of his head. "It used to be a rabbit exactly like the others." He muttered. "But it was infected by VIRUS. Its mind began to deteriorate, and it became violent and destructive. And when the infection reached its peak, it transformed into the monster you see now."

Luigi studied the vile creature in quiet awe, astounded that this monstrosity was once a harmless rabbit. Its distended jaw was filled with crooked fangs, the largest of which were set at the front. It's ears had been replaced by strange branching tendrils, with several small whip-like growths also adorning its head. Its stubby arms ended in hideously long black claws, which matched the four lengthy spikes erupting from where its tail once was. Its twenty pound frame stood atop two huge, disfigured feet. This beast was an abomination, and most definitely not a rabbit. 

"So... You're saying." Luigi shakily brought himself back to his feet, watching as the monster continued to savagly attack the cage wall. "This infection turns its victims into horrible, brainless monsters?"

"I'm afraid so." Gadd nodded. "However, there is one other curious detail about this infection that I have observed." He flipped the second switch again, sending the ever furious creature back to its space beneath the floor. "Allow me to show you one last subject."

Relieved that the terrible beast was securely locked away and out of sight once more, Luigi took a breath to relax his tense shoulders. He wasn't too keen on seeing any more examples of this monstrous infection, as it only made his concern for Mario's sanity grow stronger. But if E. Gadd had some idea on how to help or possibly even how to cure this condition, then he was willing to listen. So he followed the stubby professor over to one last switch.

A third opening in the floor revealed a third glass cage, one just as large as the second had been. Luigi was quick to note that this cage hadn't been sealed tight with heavy duty tape and clamps, which put him a tad more at ease. Whatever was in this final cell was obviously not as much of a threat as the Beast rabbit had been. 

Once the loud click sounded, signifying the cage had locked into place, Luigi cautiously leaned close to observe the specimen. At first, it seemed as though the box had been filled with nothing but uneven piles of bedding. But when Gadd gently tapped a finger rhythmically on the cage lid, a large mound of the soft paper shreds began to stir.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the warm nest it had made for itself. As the bedding fell away and as it drew closer to the wall of the cage, its form became clear. Luigi was astounded. It was a beast nearly identical to the one he had just seen. It bore the same array of jagged fangs and jet black claws. But this creature stood in a more relaxed manner; the branching tendril-like ears were held in a neutral pose, and the four long spikes that made its tail were curled together into a single loose shape. It put a soft paw to the glass and gazed at the familiar professor with curiosity in its nearly pitch black eyes. 

"This specimen is extremely interesting." E. Gadd suddenly spoke, mildly startling Luigi, who had been completely fixed on the creature. "This rabbit has been infected almost just as long as the other one. Yet this one's behavior is worlds different."

The younger man turned back towards the docile beast with an expression of quiet awe. "It acts..." Luigi whispered. "It acts like a normal rabbit..."

Almost as if to emphasize his point, the monstrous figure sat itself down and quickly scratched at the back of its neck with one of it's long, deformed feet, just as any quadrupedal animal would do. Satisfied, the thing gently shook itself off, then resumed gazing towards the two men beyond the walls of its cage, its nose twitching ever so slightly. 

"Precisely." Gadd nodded. "Despite being infected and fully transforming into this beast form, its mind and memories remain intact. This rabbit has maintained control of its consciousness despite the illness. So there may be a way to halt the mental deterioration."

"But why didn't this one go crazy like the other rabbit?" Luigi questioned the professor innocently. 

Before he even had the chance to respond, a second mass of bedding in the cage began to quiver. Luigi watched as the pile shifted, eventually revealing a second figure sharing the same living quarters. It, too, approached the close wall of the cage, and Luigi was surprised to find that this one was an average, uninfected rabbit. It took a place beside its mutated cage mate, looking to the professor almost expectantly. Seeing the two side by side really emphasized the beastly transformation. The infected rabbit was nearly twice the others size, and looked like a completely different species. 

"The only difference between this infected individual and the last one you saw..." E. Gadd explained. "Is the presence of a second rabbit."

Luigi turned to the professor with an expression of pure bewilderment. Gadd folded his arms and attempted to make his thoughts more clear. 

"I've noticed this happening several times." He began. "A rabbit will become infected without becoming furious and out of control. But only if it remains in constant contact with another individual that it's familiar with. It's almost as if its 'friend' rabbit keeps the infected one's mind together, reminding it of who it really is. However, few infected rabbits stay close to the uninfected population. One of the early symptoms of this VIRUS seems to be the urge to distance ones self from all those closest to it. I had to put these two in a cage together to prevent the infected one from running away from the other. But just by having him around, he's been able to stay his normal, rabbit-y self."

"So... When Mario runs away and acts like a monster again..." Luigi thought aloud. "It's because he needs me as a constant reminder of who he is..?"

"When you aren't there, Mario feels no reason to combat the illness, and the infection takes over his mind." Gadd elaborated, flipping the third switch to put the last cage back with the others below the floor. "Each time his mind is clouded by the infection, it will deteriorate a little more. It will become harder and harder to remind him of his true identity. Eventually, it will become impossible..."

Luigi's blood ran cold at that final declaration. To lose Mario to this infection forever; his mind wasn't even willing to accept that as a possibility. "Well then..!" He stuttered, grasping at the sides of Mario's cap atop his head. "What can we do!?"

"Calm down, my boy!" The old professor put a sympathetic hand to the frightened hero's shoulder. "We wont be letting him get that bad. First, we need to figure out where he's been hiding himself. Once we know where he's at, you'll have to catch him and bring him back here."

"But he runs away from me whenever I find him!" Luigi's shivers echoed up E. Gadds arm. "How can I ever catch him?"

"The rabbits don't come willingly either." Gadd tried to speak delicately. "If he wont come on his own, then we may have to use force."

Though it pained him, Luigi knew it would come to this. But if it was the only way to save Mario, then he was willing to try. Still shivering and with his hands anchored to his cap, Luigi solemnly nodded.

As he did, another mysterious, oblong leaf fell from the crimson fabric and onto Gadds wrist.

The professor plucked the plant matter from his sleeve, lifting his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Luigi? Where did you get this?"

The younger man released the hat from his grip and tilted his head. "Oh, that?" He mumbled. "They've been falling out of Mario's hat since I put it on his head earlier. They must've been stuck in his hair from before. Why?"

"Because..." Gadd turned to Luigi and smiled. "With this, I might just know where Mario's been hiding."


End file.
